Doubts about the veracity of Joe Biden’s political future have been ongoing for some time, as the elderly Commander in Chief continues to instill little confidence in the American people.
The Democratic Party knows it too, and a steady stream of left-leaning politicians have been pushing back against the idea of a Biden reelection campaign for weeks. The latest to do so has even made a rather bold declaration on the matter, albeit off the record.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), who has represented parts of New York City since 1993, said in an interview with The New York Times editorial board published Saturday that President Biden is “not running again” in 2024.
During the exchange that preceded the question about Biden, the 76-year-old congresswoman seemed to become confused. “Should there be term limits for members of Congress?” editorial board member Eleanor Randolph asked Maloney.
“No,” Maloney said.
“Should there be an age limit for members of Congress?” Randolph asked next.
“Members of Congress have a term limit. It’s called an election every two years,” Maloney answered, apparently responding to the previous question.
But then came the surprising claim:
The exchange about Biden began when Randolph asked Maloney whether Biden should run for a second term. “Off the record, he’s not running again,” Maloney said. She did not specify how she knew Biden would not seek a second term in 2024.
“Not off the record. On the record,” journalist Jyoti Thottam insisted. According to the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, journalistic ethics stipulate that a source cannot unilaterally go off the record. The reporter must agree.
“On the record? No, he should not run again,” Maloney said in response to Thottam’s prompting.
While the idea that a Rep. of Maloney’s mid-tier stature would be breaking such news is a bit alarming, there is no doubt that the Democrats are breathing a sigh of relief on the news itself.
