Earlier this week, nobody was surprised when President Joe Biden officially announced he is running for re-election. Framing it as a battle for the soul of the country, Biden did not mention Republican frontrunner Donald Trump by name but he took aim at “MAGA extremists”.
At 80, Biden is already the oldest president in US history, and even among Democrats it’s become an issue. And while some hoped a younger candidate might emerge – and maybe that person would be Vice President Kamala Harris, she has faced doubts from within the party as well.
Host Sarah McCammon talks with NPR’s White House correspondent Scott Detrow about the potential hurdles facing Biden and Harris on the road to reelection. And Boston Globe columnist Renée Graham weighs in on why some people will criticize Kamala Harris no matter what she does.