Biden slammed for saying he's 'not sure' if he would be running in 2024 if Trump wasn't in the race

WASHINGTON, DC: President Joe Biden found himself in hot water after claiming that he might not have been running for a second term if Donald Trump was not in the 2024 presidential race.

The 81-year-old POTUS expressed his uncertainty while addressing Democratic donors during a fundraiser at a private home outside Boston on Tuesday, December 5.

Biden used the fundraisers to warn about the potential consequences if his predecessor were to take over the White House once more.

He also pointed out that Trump has called for "retribution" from his fans and has promised to eradicate "vermin" from the USA.

"We’ve got to get it done, not because of me. ... If Trump wasn’t running I’m not sure I’d be running. We cannot let him win," Biden said, hitting the last words slowly for emphasis.

Sources familiar with the matter told CNN that Biden’s remark caught his senior campaign staffers and advisors off guard and provided possibly the most compelling justification for Biden's choice to run for re-election to date.

When questioned later on Tuesday about whether he would still be running if Trump wasn't, Biden seemed to retract the statement, telling reporters at the White House, "I expect so, but look— he is running, and I have to run."

Joe Biden’s fundraising event

The earlier comment came as Biden began a fundraising sprint Tuesday ahead of an expensive re-election race.

According to a person with knowledge of the campaign's fundraising, the target is to raise more than $15 million in five days through both grassroots and high-end fundraisers.

Democratic officials are bracing for what some estimate to be a billion-dollar campaign as Biden tries to sell his re-election to a public that, at least for now, appears skeptical.

In the first of those events, Biden went straight after Trump, warning that he is “telling us what he’s going to do. He’s making no bones about it.”

The president also noted that Trump did not attend his inauguration, saying, “I can’t say I was disappointed, but he didn’t even show up.”

Internet reacts to Joe Biden’s remarks

After Biden’s remarks surfaced on social media, many users slammed him for using Trump to justify his re-election bid. “Love the fact that he doesn't care about the country.... it's just a weird contest,” one user said.

"It’s clear this man doesn’t have the interest of Americans. He just has an agenda against Donald Trump,” another user claimed.

“So his only reason for running for president is to make sure Trump doesn’t become the president?” a third asked while a fourth wrote, “He's taking it as a competition rn. This is sad."

"He only wants a head-to-head with Trump again. Will he win again?” a user wondered. “Seems like Biden's got that "I'll run if he runs" mentality! It's like the ultimate game of political tag – you're it if he's in! 🏃‍♂️✨” someone said.