Former President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he doesn’t think President Biden will run for reelection, despite his assurances that he intends to do so.
Responding to Mr. Biden’s assertion on Monday that he plans to run in 2024, Mr. Trump said: “I don’t see how it’s possible.”
“Look, I watch him just like you do. And I think it’s almost inappropriate for me to say it,” Mr. Trump said in an interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson. “I don’t see how it’s possible. But there’s something wrong.”
“I saw his answer [Monday] on television about whether or not he was going to run, to a very nice guy named Al Roker,” the former president said. “You can’t get a softer question than that. It was a long answer about the [Easter] eggs and this and that, look I don’t think he can.”
Mr. Biden, 80, said he plans on running in 2024 but isn’t ready to make the official announcement, during a “Today” show segment on the White House Easter Egg Roll.
“I plan on at least three or four more Easter egg rolls. Maybe five. Maybe six, what the hell? I don’t know,” Mr. Biden said.
“Are you saying that you would be taking part in our upcoming election in 2024?” NBC host Al Roker said. “Help a brother out, make some news for me,”
“I plan on running, Al, but we’re not prepared to announce it yet,” Mr. Biden said.
The White House has repeatedly said Mr. Biden intends to run, but the lack of a formal announcement has fueled speculation as to whether Democrats will need to put forward an alternative to take on Mr. Trump, who has already formally declared his candidacy for 2024.
Mr. Biden has hinted he would relish a rematch against Mr. Trump.
The former president leads in the GOP primary field, according to early polling, but faces a slew of legal challenges.
Last month, a Manhattan grand jury indicted Mr. Trump on 34 felony charges of falsifying business records related to hush money payments dating back to before his election in 2016.
Mr. Trump has blasted the charges as a political ploy to derail his bid for the White House, and touted the millions of dollars in campaign donations he has raked in since the indictment.
Last week, Mr. Trump captured the nation’s attention as he flew from his home in Florida to New York to face his booking and arraignment on the charges.
On Tuesday, Mr. Trump said his supporters permeated the courthouse where he was charged.
“They were incredible,” Mr. Trump told Mr. Carlson. “When I went to the courthouse which is also a prison in a sense, they signed me in and I’ll tell you people were crying. People that work there.”
“It’s a tough, tough place and they were crying,” he said. “They were actually crying. They said I’m sorry.”
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
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