Page 3 - aruba-today-20230426

A3
up front Wednesday 26 april 2023
Biden announces 2024 reelection bid: ‘Let’s finish this job’

From Front ing reelection has been “Let’s finish this job. I know
a given for most modern we can,” Biden said in the
By ZEKE MILLER presidents, that’s not al- video, repeating a mantra
AP White House Correspondent ways been the case for he said a dozen times dur-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- Biden. A notable swath of ing his State of the Union
dent Joe Biden on Tuesday Democratic voters have in- address in February, listing
formally announced that dicated they would prefer everything from passing a
he is running for reelec- he not run, in part because ban on assault-style weap-
tion in 2024, asking voters of his age — concerns ons and lowering the cost
to give him more time to Biden has called “totally of prescription drugs to
“finish this job” and extend legitimate” but ones he codifying a national right to
the run of America’s oldest did not address head-on in abortion after the Supreme
president for another four the launch video. Yet few Court’s ruling last year over-
years. Biden, who would be things have unified Demo- turning Roe v. Wade.
86 at the end of a second cratic voters like the pros- Buoyed by the midterm re- President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk from the Oval
term, is betting his first-term pect of Trump returning to sults, Biden plans to contin- Office to attend a ceremony honoring the Council of Chief State
legislative achievements power. And Biden’s politi- ue to cast all Republicans School Officers’ 2023 Teachers of the Year in the Rose Garden of
and more than 50 years of cal standing within his party as embracing what he the White House, Monday, April 24, 2023, in Washington.
experience in Washington stabilized after Democrats calls “ultra-MAGA” politics Associated Press
will count for more than notched a stronger-than- — a reference to Trump’s graphs of key moments in Taylor Greene of Georgia.
concerns over his age. He expected performance in “Make America Great his presidency, snapshots He exhorts supporters that
faces a smooth path to win- last year’s midterm elec- Again” slogan — regardless of diverse Americans and “this is our moment” to “de-
ning his party’s nomination, tions. The president is set of whether his predecessor flashes of outspoken Re- fend democracy. Stand up
with no serious Democratic to run again on the same ends up on the 2024 ballot. publican foes, including for our personal freedoms.
challengers. But he’s still set themes that buoyed his In the video, Biden speaks Trump, Florida Gov. Ron Stand up for the right to
for a hard-fought struggle party last fall, particularly over brief clips and photo- DeSantis, and Rep. Marjorie vote and our civil rights.”q
to retain the presidency in on preserving access to
a bitterly divided nation. abortion. “Freedom. Per-
In his first public appear- sonal freedom is funda-
ance Tuesday since the mental to who we are as
announcement, Biden of- Americans. There’s nothing
fered a preview of how he more important. Nothing
plans to navigate the dual more sacred,” Biden said in
roles of president and presi- the launch video, depict-
dential candidate, using a ing Republican extremists
speech to building trades as trying to roll back ac-
union members to highlight cess to abortion, cut Social
his accomplishments and Security, limit voting rights
undercut his GOP rivals, and ban books they dis-
while showing voters he re- agree with. “Around the
mained focused on his day country, MAGA extremists
job. Greeted by a raucous are lining up to take those
crowd of building trades bedrock freedoms away.”
union members — a key “This is not a time to be
base of Democratic sup- complacent,” Biden add-
port — with “Let’s Go Joe” ed. “That’s why I’m running
chants, Biden touted the for reelection.”
tens of thousands of con- As the contours of the cam-
struction jobs being creat- paign begin to take shape,
ed since he took office that Biden plans to campaign
are supported by the legis- on his record. He spent his
lation he signed into law. first two years as president
The official announce- combating the coronavi-
ment, in a three-minute rus pandemic and pushing
video, comes on the four- through major bills such as
year anniversary of when the bipartisan infrastructure
Biden declared for the package and legislation to
White House in 2019, prom- promote high-tech man-
ising to heal the “soul of ufacturing and climate
the nation” amid the turbu- measures. With Republi-
lent presidency of Donald cans now in control of the
Trump — a goal that has House, Biden has shifted
remained elusive. his focus to implementing
“I said we are in a battle for those massive laws and
the soul of America, and making sure voters credit
we still are,” Biden said. him for the improvements.
“The question we are fac- The president also has mul-
ing is whether in the years tiple policy goals and un-
ahead we have more free- met promises from his first
dom or less freedom. More campaign that he’s ask-
rights or fewer.” ing voters on giving him
While the prospect of seek- another chance to fulfill.