Congresswoman apologises to Biden for saying he won’t run in 2024

Maloney doubles down after awkward debate moment

A New York congresswoman seeking control of one of the state’s newly drawn districts found herself in an awkward situation after sharing her view regarding whether Joe Biden would run for reelection in 2024.

Carolyn Maloney, one of two incumbent members of Congress vying alongside another progressive challenger for a Manhattan congressional seat, had some explaining to do after a moderator during this week’s primary debate on Spectrum News asked the candidates whether they thought Joe Biden should run for office again in the next presidential cycle.

Ms Maloney answered flatly at the time, “I don’t believe he’s running for reelection.”

Rep Jerry Nadler, the other incumbent on the stage, somewhat dodged the question by saying it doesn’t help Democrats to discuss such things before the midterms. But he also said it was “too early to say”, indicating that he too doubts the committment of Mr Biden to run again. Suraj Patel, the third candidate on stage, was the only one to answer simply, “yes”, when asked if Mr Biden should run in 2024.

Two days later, the congresswoman is still clarifying her remark to reporters.

Ms Maloney first sought to tamp down the reaction in a statement on Wednesday to CNN’s MJ Lee: “If he decides to run, I'm supporting him. I’m supporting him and I don’t have [any] other comment.”

But that evidently wasn’t enough, and she appeared Thursday on CNN’s New Day, where she addressed Mr Biden directly: “I want you to run. I happen to think you won't be running, but when you run or if you run, I will be there 100 per cent.”

The awkward doubling down comes despite repeated insistences from Mr Biden’s press team as well as the president himself that he will indeed run for reelection in 2024. If he were to be elected four another term, Mr Biden would be 82 in January 2025, far older than any other person to take the oath of office.

Discussion of the issue is occurring as number of Democrats have begun publicly calling for “generational” change in their party’s leadership, a not-so-subtle dig at the Baby Boomers who retain an iron grip over the top positions in the House, Senate and White House.

Ms Maloney and Mr Nadler are considered to be sharp rivals and have at times trashed each other in the press. The two are running neck-and-neck in the primary for the newly-redrawn 12th congressional district of New York, according to a recent poll commissioned by Mr Patel, who trailed them both within striking distance in the same survey.