Top Democrat Apologizes for Comments About Biden, Still Thinks He Won’t Run in 2024

The comment comes as a growing number of Democrats are losing faith in Biden’s leadership

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) on Aug. 3 walked back earlier comments she had made about President Joe Biden, but suggested that she still thinks he won’t run again in 2024.

“I don’t believe he’s running for reelection,” Maloney, who leads the House Oversight Committee, said during an Aug. 2 primary debate.

The next morning, she walked back her comment’s implied criticism of Biden during an appearance on CNN, but refused to recant on her suggestion that the president will not seek reelection.

“Mr. President, I apologize,” Maloney said.

“I want you to run,” she insisted. “I happen to think you won’t be running, but when you run—or if you run—I will be there 100 percent.”

“You have deserved it,” Maloney added. “You are a great president and thank you for everything you’ve done for my state and all the states and all the cities in America.”

Traditionally, presidents have not announced their intention to seek reelection until after the midterms.

But Biden has indicated repeatedly that he intends to run again, to the chagrin of a growing number of Democrat voters and lawmakers alike, who increasingly see Biden as more of a liability than an asset.

Other Democrats Also Ambiguous, Critical on Biden Reelection Bid

Though Biden has made his intention to seek reelection clear, Maloney is not the only Democrat who has been on the fence about whether Biden will, in fact, be the Democrats’ standard-bearer in the next presidential election.

During the same primary debate on Aug. 2, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), when asked whether Biden should seek reelection, replied that it is “too early to say,” and suggested that Democrats should discuss it following the midterms.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), one of the

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