Schumer and Pelosi give their blessings to a Biden 2024 run

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) both described President Biden’s first term in the White House as “excellent” on Thursday and said he should run again in 2024. 

Their strong support of the 80-year-old president going ahead with a reelection campaign stands in stark contrast to several polls showing that the majority of voters, including Democrats, would rather see another candidate top the 2024 Democratic Party ticket.

“I think President Biden has done an excellent job as president of the United States,” Pelosi said in a joint interview with Schumer that aired on CNN Thursday. “I hope that he does seek reelection. He’s a person with a great vision for our country. He’s been involved for a long time, so he has great knowledge of the issues and the challenges we face. And he’s the most empathetic president. He connects with the American people.”

“The vision, the knowledge, the strategic thinking is all here. The empathy is from the heart. And I think that he’s been a great president,” the outgoing Democratic House leader added.

Schumer echoed many of Pelosi’s points when asked whether he supports Biden seeking a second term. 

“Yes, he’s done an excellent, excellent job. And, if he runs, I’m going to support him all the way,” Schumer said. 

Biden, already the oldest president in US history, would be 86-years-old by the end of his second term, if reelected. 

A CNN poll released on Wednesday found that 59% of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents would rather someone other than Biden be the party’s standard-bearer in 2024, but 28% said they didn’t have a specific candidate in mind. ​

A Redfield & Wilton Strategies poll, done for Newsweek and released on Tuesday, found that 58% of voters surveyed said that Biden should not run for reelection, with 42% citing his advanced age as the most significant reason for their answer.

Biden is believed to be mulling launching his reelection campaign early in the new year. 

First lady Jill Biden is reportedly “all in” on her husband seeking another four years in office, according to CNN, after previously being described as “not a proponent” of another presidential campaign.