Joe Biden’s campaign chairwoman, Jen O’Malley Dillon, said in an interview on MSNBC on Friday morning that the president will “absolutely” still run for president in 2024.
O’Malley Dillon’s appearance on “Morning Joe” came after a tumultuous week in the president’s reelection bid, when Democratic Party officials urged Biden to withdraw from the race after he tested positive for COVID-19. He said Biden is “more committed than ever” despite the concerns. Biden is focused on defeating former President Donald Trump, who became the Republican nominee at Thursday night’s convention. He added that the president’s positive test will take him off the campaign trail at a pivotal time in the election cycle, but he will return next week.
“The president is certainly in this race. Joe Biden is more committed than ever to defeating Donald Trump. We are prepared in this race for what will be a close election and I believe we see a path forward.”
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She dismissed reports that Biden was considering dropping out of the race as “bad” talk about conversations he “didn’t have.”
O’Malley Dillon said the campaign continues to canvass while Biden recovers from COVID-19 at his home in Delaware. Of the 100,000 voters the campaign spoke to in battleground states this week, she said, 76% still support the president, 16% are undecided and a handful are “unavailable.”
“We have multiple paths to victory,” O’Malley Dillon said.
Several independent polls have shown Trump leading Biden nationally and in battleground states since the first presidential debate.
Rachel Barber is a USA TODAY 2024 Election Fellow focusing on politics and education. Follow her on Twitter at @rachelbarber_.
