2024 US Presidential elections: Biden, Harris officially announce re-election campaign

President Joe Biden on Tuesday (local time) announced that he will be running for a second term in office, joined by Vice President Kamala Harris as his running mate. "Every generation has a moment where they have had to stand up for democracy. To stand up for their fundamental freedoms. I believe this is ours. That's why I'm running for re-election as President of the United States. Join us. Let's finish the job," tweeted Biden.

This sets up the possibility of a rematch with Donald Trump. Moreover, Democrat Senator Bernie Sanders, a former two-time presidential candidate, said he endorses President Biden's re-election bid on Tuesday, foregoing a third run for the White House. According to the report, Sanders said he would "do everything I can to see the president is re-elected", warning against a victory by former President Trump or another Republican, Fox News reported.

"The last thing this country needs is a Donald Trump or some other right-wing demagogue who is going to try to undermine American democracy or take away a woman's right to choose, or not address the crisis of gun violence, or racism, sexism or homophobia," Sanders reportedly said. "So, I'm in to do what I can to make sure that the President is re-elected." In the video titled "Freedom," President Biden echoed his 2020 campaign message of battling for the "soul of our nation," uniting the country, and supporting the middle class, his campaign said. The video opens with footage of the January 6 US Capitol protest.

"Freedom. Personal freedom is fundamental to who we are as Americans. There's nothing more important. Nothing more sacred," Biden, 80, said in the video. "That's been the work of my first term: To fight for our Democracy. This shouldn't be a red or blue issue." Vice President Harris also released a statement, calling the 2024 presidential election a "pivotal moment in our history."

"For two years we have made transformational investments to build a nation in which everyone can be safe and healthy, find a good job, and retire with dignity," she applauded. "As Americans, we believe in freedom and liberty--and we believe that our democracy will only be as strong as our willingness to fight for it. That's why @JoeBiden and I are running for reelection," tweeted Harris.

Meanwhile, Biden and Harris remain immensely unpopular, with Biden's approval ratings in the low 40s in most polls. According to the latest Fox News national survey, his job performance rating currently stands at 44 per cent approve vs. 56 per cent disapprove.

Biden's time in office has also been roiled by a series of world issues including the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea launching ballistic missiles towards and over Japan, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and China's unchecked ascendancy in the Indo-Pacific region, including their pushing countries away from using the US dollar and from supporting Taiwan. Domestically, Biden also has been subject to an investigation of mishandling classified information, which included documents spanning decades found at his different properties, violent crime remains high in cities across the country and the US-Mexico border faces record-high immigration figures, including the surge of deadly fentanyl. He also allowed a Chinese spy aircraft to float across the country.

His son's involvement with the Chinese and a Ukrainian energy firm, and other business dealings have also raised issues for the administration. Biden's entry into the 2024 contest comes as several Republicans have already joined the running, including Biden's 2020 opponent Donald Trump, Gov Nikki Haley, Sen Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy and others.

On the Democratic side, Robert F Kennedy Jr has announced his intention to seek his party's nomination.