Donald Trump's decision to jump into the 2024 race could help give Joe Biden a second term in the White House, the Democratic president and his aides believe, viewing his Republican predecessor as a vulnerable and defeated politician even as they fret about the impact a bitter campaign could have on America.
Several Biden aides and advisers, speaking on condition of anonymity, gave their assessment of how the president and his team view Trump's entry into the race. Trump made his announcement on Tuesday night as he sought to get a jump on potential rivals for the Republican nomination.
Biden, who defeated Trump in the contentious 2020 election, thus far is remaining mum publicly. When he and French President Emmanuel Macron were asked by reporters at the G20 meeting in Bali if they had a reaction to Trump's announcement, they looked at each other briefly and shared a faint smile.
"Not really," Biden said, before turning his attention back to the mangrove trees he and other world leaders were planting.