Chris Wallace thinks that President Biden might not wind up as Democrats’ choice to run for president in 2024, underscoring a sentiment that has been simmering among some members of the party and media pundits in recent weeks.
“Remember, in the CNN poll of polls, I think it’s 75 percent of Democrats say they would like to see another Democratic nominee for president in 2024, you know, and we’ve seen this in businesses that, you know, ‘Thank you very much for your service. Here’s the gold watch. Enjoy your retirement,'” Wallace said on “At This Hour” on Monday morning.
The former Fox News anchor, who was hired by CNN last year to join its since-shuttered streaming service, acknowledged Biden’s recent legislative wins “after a lot of stalemate” and dreary approval ratings.
Those victories on climate change, health care and tax reform will “change the narrative” around his presidency, Wallace said.
“Whether or not a large percentage of that 75 percent, three-quarters of Democrats, are going to say, ‘You know what,?I’m excited by the idea of a guy who on next Inauguration Day would be 82 running for election again,’ I’m not so sure about that,” Wallace said.
Wallace’s comments come just days after and op-ed from columnist Maureen Dowd published in The New York Times suggested Biden should ride “the crest of success” into a political retirement without a second term.
“The country really needs to dodge a comeback by Trump or the rise of the odious Ron DeSantis. There is a growing sense in the Democratic Party and in America that this will require new blood,” Dowd wrote. “If the president made his plans clear now, it would give Democrats a chance to sort through their meh field and leave time for a fresh, inspiring candidate to emerge.”
White House officials have said Biden intends to run for president again in 2024, but a number of Democratic allies have declined to say publicly whether he should.