President Joe Biden gloated that he would be “fortunate” if former President Donald Trump chose to run against him once again in 2024 on Thursday.
Biden made the statement to reporters during a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, where Biden is currently meeting with NATO allies to address Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. A reporter asked Biden how Europeans can be confident that the U.S. will maintain its support for NATO alliances with the impending presidential election in 2024. (RELATED: Biden Warns Of ‘Evolving Intelligence’ Surrounding Possible Russian Cyberattacks)
“There are widespread concerns in Europe that a figure like your predecessor, maybe even your predecessor himself, might get elected president again,” a German reporter for Der Spiegel began. “Is there anything you are trying to do … to prevent what you’re trying to do [from] becoming undone two years from now?”
Biden then delivered a lengthy response, recounting his disgust at Trump’s reaction to the 2017 Charlottesville riots as well as the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6. He claimed to remain confident that he will win the 2024 election, however.
“The first G7 meeting I attended … I sat down and I said ‘America is back,’ and one of my counterpart heads of state said ‘For how long?'” Biden said. “I don’t criticize anybody for asking that question, but in the next election I’d be very fortunate if I had that same man running against me.”
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Trump himself has heavily hinted that he plans to run again in 2024, but has not yet made a formal announcement. Biden has stated that he plans to run for reelection.
Biden also announced a further suite of sanctions against Russia on Thursday, applying existing sanctions to an additional 328 lawmakers within the Russian State Duma, the country’s lower legislative body.
“As part of this action, we are also targeting multiple Russian elites to include their properties and family members,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Thursday. “Notably, this will include 17 members of the board of PJSC Sovcombank, a designated entity. These executives join the growing list of individuals associated with blocked Russian financial institutions that now also find themselves subject to U.S. sanctions.”
“Additionally, the United States is taking action to impose additional severe costs on Russia’s defense establishment. This includes designating multiple defense-related entities and one associated individual. An important component of today’s action is designating Russian defense companies that are part of Russia’s defense-industrial base and that produce weapons that have been used in Russia’s war of aggression,” Blinken added.