The United States’ former vice president Joe Biden on Thursday announced his candidacy for the presidential nomination for 2020 elections.
He made his announcement in a video posted on Twitter, declaring: “We are in the battle for the soul of this nation. If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation. And I cannot stand by and watch that happen.”
It is Biden’s third run at presidency after he attempted for Democratic nomination way back in 1988 and 2008. Bolstered by his legacy as Barack Obama’s vice-president, Biden was expected to be an early frontrunner in a diverse Democratic field that features several heavyweight contenders but no clear favourite. In a statement issued by a spokesperson Thursday, the former president offered his praise – if not an endorsement, yet.
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“President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made,” the spokesperson said, adding that the pair “remain close”.
Donald Trump posted a tweet greeting Joe Biden in the race: “Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign.”
If successful, Biden, 76, would become the oldest person to be elected president in US history.