During an interview on Monday afternoon, Joe Biden made hearts leap when he said that he was planning his 2020 presidential run, before chuckling and dismissing his claim, saying he didn’t know what would happen that far from now.
Echoing some of Senator Bernie Sanders’ frustration with the media, it was pretty clear here that Biden was not making a serious announcement, but rather giving a tongue-in-cheek “maybe.”
Said Biden:
“I am going to run in 2020 for president. What the hell man, anyway.”
Rather than running with that enticing headline, reporters immediately asked for clarification. Though Biden eventually backed down from the statement, he did not seem entirely to be joking.
“I’m not committing not to run. I’m not committing to anything. I learned a long time ago fate has a strange way of intervening.”
It was clear that Biden’s decision not to run for president in 2016 was a conflicted one. If not for the untimely death of his son Beau, he most certainly would have entered the race – and might have even won.
Now, staring down a Trump presidency, Biden may feel more pressure than ever to pull himself up and prepare for a major career change so late in life.
The Vice President’s main barrier in this goal is his advanced age. If he were to enter the race in 2020, he would be nearly 78 on election day.
Of course, concerns about age haven’t stopped journalists everywhere from querying Senator Sanders about his presidential ambitions, though the Senator is just under a year older than Biden.
