WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday formally launched his 2024 re-election bid, promising protection against right-wing extremists and highlighting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump.
Vowing to “finish this job” of leading America, Biden also vowed to fight efforts to limit women’s healthcare, cut Social Security and ban books as well as so-called MAGA extremists — a reference to supporters of Trump, who is also running for a second term in 2024 after losing to Biden in 2020.
Below is some reaction to Biden’s announcement:
FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, LEADING REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR 2024 NOMINATION:
“With such a calamitous and failed presidency, it is almost inconceivable that Biden would even think of running for reelection,” Trump said in a statement. “But I promise you this: when I stand on that debate stage and compare our records, it will be Radical Democrats’ worst nightmare because there’s never been a record as bad as they have, and our country has never been through so much. There has never been a greater contrast between two successive administrations in all of American history. Ours being greatness, and theirs being failure.”
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SPEAKER KEVIN MCCARTHY:
“President Biden might be focused on his own political future today, but he should be focused on the future of America. Biden should have announced he will finally come to the table and negotiate a responsible debt limit increase to avoid the first default in our history,” the California Republican said in a post on Twitter.
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JIM CLYBURN:
“I think that we have a tremendous opportunity now to continue … a course correction,” the South Carolina Democrat and Biden campaign co-chair told MSNBC in an interview. “Joe Biden feels very strongly that our country got off track in our pursuit of a more perfect union. … This is not about stopping Trump. This is about continuing our pursuit of a more perfect union.”
“I do believe he is up to the task.”
U.S. SENATOR TIM KAINE:
“Thanks to @JoeBiden’s leadership, millions of Americans are vaccinated and back to work, clean energy production and jobs are soaring, we’re rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges, and we’re bringing manufacturing back to America. Let’s finish the job!” the Virginia Democrat said in a post on Twitter.
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE:
“Biden is so out-of-touch that after creating crisis after crisis, he thinks he deserves another four years. If voters let Biden ‘finish the job,’ inflation will continue to skyrocket, crime rates will rise, more fentanyl will cross our open borders, children will continue to be left behind, and American families will be worse off,” the RNC said in a statement.
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE:
“It’s official: President Biden and Vice President Harris are running for reelection to stand up for democracy and defend our fundamental freedoms,” the DNC said in a post on Twitter.
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE:
The Georgia Republican, in a post on Twitter, accused Biden of telling “lies in his pre-recorded 2024 re-election video,” adding “shame on Joe Biden for lying and selfishly deciding to run for re-election” and “Joe himself has already proven he’s the worst president in history.”
(Reporting by Washington newsroom)
