“I have no idea if there will be a Republican Party”
Now that President Biden has made clear that he intends to run for a second term in 2024, it was no surprise today when a reporter asked Biden at his press conference if he expects to run against Trump when he’s up for re-election. We’ve constantly heard this tired narrative that Donald Trump will run for president again in four years and this time be magically unstoppable. In reality, of course, Trump is facing legal challenges from a number of states and still would have the same problem with raising money for his campaign that he had last time around, even without everyone he owes money to. Rather than take the bait and give an answer, President Biden called this reckless media narrative for what it really is.
The only thing that keeps this narrative going is the one bit of truth in it: that the GOP in its present state doesn’t have any real direction or leadership, hence why Trump is still seen by many as the favorite. Biden seized on this when he answered reporters – simply saying that we don’t know what 2024 will bring, but then he took it a step further and added: “I have no idea if there will be a Republican Party.”
He then went on to mention everything that he and his administration are currently working on – from voting rights to climate change and infrastructure, problems that have been decades in the making with no easy solutions, and emphasized that the GOP has had zero interest in helping with any of the workload – only complaints about the cost of raising taxes. President Biden is right to call them out. This kind of speculation is dangerous and propelled Trump to being a serious presidential candidate just five short years ago. If Republican candidates are to get any free air time at all, they should at least pretend to care about real issues, and the press should hold them to answers of substance.
James Sullivan is the assistant editor of Brain World Magazine and an advocate of science-based policy making