Biden confronts reporter over question about sagging approval among Democrats
The reporter asked Biden what his message is for Democrats who no longer want him to run in 2024.
President Biden became agitated and approached a reporter Tuesday after he was asked for his response to a recent poll showing a majority of Democrats do not want him to seek re-election in 2024.
"Mr. President, what’s your message to Democrats who don’t want you to run again?" the reporter asked at the congressional picnic at the White House.
Biden, walking adjacent to the reporter, paused in his tracks, telling the reporter "they want me to run" and for him to "read the polls." The reporter noted that roughly two-thirds of Democrats say they do not want Biden to run again, according to a New York Times survey.
"Read the polls, Jack, you guys are all the same," Biden continued as he slowly began walking up closely to the reporter and the camera. "That poll showed that 92% of Democrats, if I ran, would vote for me."
President Biden arrives at the congressional picnic on the South Lawn of the White House on July 12, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Both the reporter and Biden reiterated their claims to each other, with the reporter again asserting that a majority of Democrats do not want Biden to campaign in 2024, and Biden refuting the statistic, insisting it was quite the opposite.
The interaction comes as the media has highlighted numerous polls that show Biden is in hot water with American voters, including voters of his own party. The numbers Biden and the reporter spoke of came from a New York Times/Sienna College poll conducted between July 5 and 7.
In this particular situation, the reporter was in fact correct in his assessment that a majority, or around two-thirds, of Democrats do not want Biden to seek the presidency again in two years’ time. The poll revealed that a staggering 64% of Democratic voters agree that someone else should take the mantle in 2024.
President Biden speaks at the congressional picnic on the South Lawn of the White House on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
As for Biden’s statistic of 92%, that number does appear in the poll, but is not attributable to a question about whether he should or should not run in 2024. Instead, the statistic is in reference to the fact that 92% of Democrats would still vote for Biden in a hypothetical rematch against former President Donald Trump.
The poll also highlighted a number of other notable insights into the national mood regarding Biden and his administration.
The polling shows particular frustration among younger voters, showing 94% of Democrats under the age of 30 would prefer a different nominee. The poll also found that just 13% of Americans believe the country is on the right track.