By Tashi McQueen, AFRO Political Writer
President Biden has officially announced his bid for re-election in 2024.
Political analysts had believed Biden would originally announce his run during his impassioned 2023 State of the Union address, but on April 25, he released a campaign video of the announcement on YouTube.
“When I ran for president four years ago, I said we’re in the battle for the soul of America, and we still are,” said Biden. “I’m running for re-election because I know America. I know we are good, decent people. We’re still a country that believes in honesty and respect and treating people with dignity. We’re a nation that gives hate no safe harbor.”
Biden highlighted “personal freedom” as a priority of his first term and said he plans to continue this agenda if elected for a second term. He also suggested that the upcoming election will be a fight against Republican extremism.
On the day of the reveal, AFRO took to the streets of Baltimore to see what Black Americans thought of his decision to run again.
“I’m hoping he gets re-elected next year,” said Patrick Hughes, a 24-year-old resident of Baltimore. “If he is re-elected, I hope he does a better job of caring about Americans as a whole.”
According to a March Gallup poll, 56 percent of Americans disapprove of Biden’s overall job as president. His approval rating has not exceeded 44 percent since his first year in office.
I felt like he didn’t do what he promised to the people,” said Jokima Brown, 36, a customer service representative from Pittsburgh, Pa. “I’ve been affected by inflation within the housing crisis and currently, costs are outrageously high.”
“I know everything can’t be put on Biden because Congress has an influence too, but I just don’t feel like he was a great president,” Brown continued. “I feel like he used African-American votes to get in with all these broken promises but I haven’t seen much change.”
In 2020, 92 percent of the Black vote went to Biden, according to the Pew Research Center.
One American revealed why she chooses not to put her faith in political leaders.
“I have no feelings about whoever’s running,” said Leah King, 50, x-ray technician from Baltimore. “Man, I don’t care who they are, [they] cannot bring the solutions we need to our problems. That’s only something that a heavenly government can do. And that’s where I put my trust and my support.”
