A one-time adviser to President Bill Clinton suggested Thursday that former President Donald Trump is in a better position to run and win in 2024 than President Joe Biden.
Clinton adviser and pollster Mark Penn told Fox Business’ “Mornings With Maria” host Maria Bartiromo that Trump is in a “somewhat better position” than Biden to win the next presidential election.
“I was really surprised that President Biden put doubt in whether or not he is going to run. Leadership rarely does that because you never want to be seen as a potential lame duck,” Penn said.
Biden cast a bit of doubt Wednesday evening when he suggested that “fate” and “good health” would factor into his decision to run again, though he did say if Trump became the GOP nominee then he would for certain.
“I’m a great respecter of fate. Fate has intervened in my life many, many times. If I’m in the health I’m in now – I’m in good health – then, in fact, I would run again,” Biden told ABC News anchor David Muir.
The anchor followed those remarks up by asking Biden if he would seek re-election if it meant taking on Trump once more.
“You’re trying to tempt me now. Sure, why would I not run against Donald Trump if he were the nominee? That would increase the prospect of running,” Biden continued.
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Still, Penn suggested that Biden would have a tougher time in 2024 than in 2020.
“But let me tell you, as a practical matter, in our most recent polls, he’s polling under 40 percent in Democratic primaries, among Democrats, that’s unprecedented for a sitting president,” Penn said.
“So a majority of Democrats would not support Joe Biden for reelection right now unless he turns his presidency around, healthy or not,” Penn continued.
“And as to Donald Trump, he is in a somewhat better position. He’s getting about 47 percent of Republicans against a matchup of other candidates. Not a majority, down a little bit, but way in the lead,” Penn continued. “So he certainly has even more potential right now, if you look at the numbers, of getting the nomination.”
Trump has teased another run in 2024 for months, and last month, Politico reported that the former president has people “begging” him to jump in.
“A lot of times, a presidential candidate will pick a running mate to balance out wings of the party. But with Trump, that’s not the issue. He is the party, basically. It’s so united behind him,” John McLaughlin, one of Trump’s campaign pollsters, told the outlet.
“So his choice, if he runs, will come down to what he wants. It would be a much more personal decision this time,” McLaughlin added.
“They’re all begging me. They all come here,” said one adviser, who spoke anonymously with the outlet, said Trump told them.
“Once you get past those two issues — loyalty and Trump going more with his gut — Trump has a lot of leeway in who he would pick,” added Tony Fabrizio, Trump’s lead pollster in 2016 and 2020.
Jon has over 30 years' worth of reporting experience, as well as an author and U.S. Army veteran. He has a BA in political science from Ashford University and an MA in national security studies/intelligence analysis from American Military University.
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