Former Vice President Joe Biden Tuesday signaled he may be about to join the 2020 Democratic primary.
Biden was asked about his plans by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham during a conversation between the two at the University of Delaware.
After wading verbally through many twist and turns, Biden signaled he was very close to pulling the trigger on yet another White House run. “I have not made a final decision, but don’t be surprised,” the former Delaware senator said before exiting the stage.
Biden ran previously for the 1988 and 2008 Democratic nominations.
In past reporting and interviews, the former vice president has expressed concern about the toll another run would have on his family.
Tuesday afternoon, however, Biden told the Delaware audience that even his grandchildren are telling him to run.
“No man or woman has a right to run for public office without it being a family decision.” Biden said. “We just had a family meeting with all the grandkids too, and there’s a consensus: They, the most important people in my life, want me to run,” he said, adding that they understood the challenges a campaign would present. “They’re not naive,” he said.
Still, Biden suggested some doubt about his ability to win the presidency after being out of politics for almost four years.
“It’s a very difficult campaign, the primary will be very difficult, the general election, running against President Trump,” Biden said. “I don’t think he’ll be willing to stop at anything, no matter who he runs against.”
Biden added, “I don’t want this to be a fool’s errand,” noting challenges like building a competitive campaign infrastructure.
Despite his equivocating, reports surfaced Tuesday that Biden had been making hires in key 2020 primary states.
