Faiz Shakir, the longtime adviser to Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), told CBS News that Sanders would likely run for president again in 2024 if Biden does not.
As Sanders’ 2020 campaign manager, Shakir believed Sanders would consider a third campaign if he felt the Democratic Party could not appeal to working-class voters. “I assume that he would give it a hard look,” Shakir said.
As a Democratic candidate, Sanders ran in 2016 and 2020, but Clinton and Biden won the nominations. His “political revolution” campaigns attracted massive crowd support and inspired other democratic socialists to run for Congress.
But Sanders would be the oldest president in history, should he secure a win. According to Shakir, Sanders’ age is just as important to consider as the age of current President Joe Biden.
Bernie Sanders will take 'a hard look' at 2024 if Biden doesn't run, adviser says https://t.co/LYIdk7mUiH pic.twitter.com/3hhRpGCSnW
— New York Post (@nypost) December 9, 2022
His age would be 83 upon taking office if he were to win the presidential election in 2024. Shakir added that Sanders is “very aware that he’s older now, and he’d have to make a real judgment about his own vigor and his stamina and his desire and hunger and passion to do this a third time.” “But if it were an open field? Yeah, I’m confident he would take another look at it and say, ‘Do I want to do this or not?'” he explained.
Biden is the oldest sitting president ever to occupy the White House. Despite his age, he’s already mentioned running for reelection, toasting his 2024 campaign at a state dinner. He’ll decide shortly after Christmas if he’ll run for reelection, according to Ronald Klain, the president’s chief of staff.
Shakir acknowledged that Biden could run again and said he wouldn’t prepare for an open primary as Sanders’ adviser. But if Biden leaves the White House, he expects the Democratic nomination fight to be intense. “Personally, I take President Biden at his word, and our orbit takes him at his word that he’s taking it seriously and presume that he is leaning toward yes,” Shakir said.
