US president Joe Biden has indicated that he will run for a second term in the White House.
Speaking at Knock in Co Mayo late on Friday night at the end of his four-day visit to Ireland he signalled that he will make a formal declaration shortly.
“I’ve already made that calculus. We’ll announce it relatively soon. But the trip here just reinforced my sense of optimism about what can be done.”
“I told you my plan is to run again”, he told reporters.
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This means that the US presidential election in 2024 could be a replay of the 2020 contest between Mr Biden and former president Donald Trump.
Mr Trump is considered the front-runner to secure the nomination to be the candidate of the Republican Party in 2024. This is despite having been charged by authorities in New York with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to his alleged role in hush money payments toward the end of his 2016 presidential campaign.
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Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
He is also facing potential legal difficulties arising from separate investigations in Georgia and by the US department of justice arising from alleged efforts to overturn the result of the 2020 election.
An announcement by Mr Biden that he would be seeking a second term in the White House would not be considered a surprise.
Mr Biden has long said he intended to run again in 2024.
Behind the scenes associates are understood to have been putting in place the backbone of campaign and fundraising infrastructure should the president decide to seek another term in office.
If he opts to run again, Mr Biden would be the overwhelming favourite to secure the nomination of the Democratic Party.
However, some critics have raised concerns about Mr Biden’s age.
The president turned 80 last November and would be 86 at the end of any second term.
Earlier this month Robert Kennedy, an anti-vaccine activist and environmental lawyer who is the nephew of former president John F Kennedy and son of assassinated presidential candidate Robert Kennedy, said he was running for the White House.
Self-help author Marianne Williamson is also seeking the Democratic Party nomination.
