- American President Joe Biden said he expects to run for reelection in 2024, with his vice president Kamala Harris.
- Biden made the comments during his first news conference on Thursday.
- He is 78 years old.
- Biden refused to fully commit to running again and said that it's his "expectation."
American President Joe Biden – who is 78 years old – on Thursday announced that he expects to run for reelection in 2024, with his vice president Kamala Harris on the ticket.
"The answer is yes, my plan is to run for reelection," Biden told reporters in his first formal news conference of his administration. "That's my expectation."
Biden added that he "fully expects" Harris to be his running mate again and praised her for "doing a great job" as vice president.
"She's a great partner," Biden said.
A reporter noted the fact that by this point in his predecessor Donald Trump's tenure, he had already officially filed for his 2020 reelection campaign. Biden so far has not taken the steps to do so.
"My predecessor needed to," Biden replied with a laugh. "Oh God, I miss him."
Biden then emphasised that it is his "expectation" to run again, but stopped short of making a definitive commitment.
"I'm a great respecter of fate - I've never been able to plan four and half, three and a half years ahead for certain," Biden said.
When asked if he thinks Trump will be a Republican Party challenger in 2024, Biden replied: "I have no idea."
"I have no idea if there will be a Republican Party," he added.
The comments came as the White House press corps grilled Biden during his first formal news conference of his presidency.
Since he took office 64 days ago, Biden has briefly answered questions from the media after public appearances, and participated in the occasional cable news interview, but until Thursday he had not yet held a presidential press conference - a White House tradition that allows reporters to question the commander-in-chief on live TV.
Reporters pressed Biden on a range of issues, including immigration, voting rights, and the war in Afghanistan.
