Biden launches 2024 campaign in search of villains

President Joe Biden has officially launched his reelection campaign, but with no clear opponent in sight, he’s focusing on a loosely connected set of ideas rather than any one person as his rival. In his three-minute launch video, Biden touched on a range of topics, including the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, anti-abortion sentiment, Trump-aligned Republicans, and reforms to Social Security and Medicare. He made the case that he needed another term to “finish the job,” although he made virtually no mention of the actual job he’s done so far.

Despite his lack of a clear opponent, Biden’s campaign strategy is to present himself as a bulwark against what he sees as the extremes of his opposition and Trump’s toxic effect on our democracy and politics overall. His video warned about “MAGA extremists” and cited threats that have little to do with Trump, such as GOP attempts to cut Social Security and Medicare, even though Trump has explicitly advocated against such reforms.

While Biden’s approval ratings are still underwater and the public remains unhappy about the direction of the country, Democrats have found success in lumping most Republicans in with Trump’s increasingly unpopular brand. Biden’s reelection premise is that his administration has achieved significant wins and made meaningful investments to improve Americans’ lives, and his second term is the critical moment to continue those gains.

However, polls show a sizable majority of voters would prefer Biden not seek a second term, and his policies aren’t popular. Republican strategist Scott Jennings noted that Biden appears to be building the rationale for his reelection around Trump despite the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s future. Regardless, voters have signaled they don’t want to see Trump on the general election stage, which likely factors into Biden’s focus on him as the mascot for the things he says he’s against – even if Trump doesn’t actually hold those positions.