Former vice president Joe Biden announced his entry into the crowded Democratic primary field Thursday, officially launching his third campaign for the nomination after months of hesitation.
Biden, 76, released a three-and-a-half-minute video Thursday morning in which he casts himself as a genial centrist who can unite the country and help lead Americans away from the division he believes President Trump has enflamed. The video illustrates that division through footage of the violent clash between white supremacists and counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Va., in the summer of 2017 — and Trump’s equivocating response.
“In that moment I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime,” Biden says of Trump’s claim that there were “very fine people on both sides of the clash.”
“I wrote at the time that we are in a battle for the soul of this nation, and that’s true, we are in a battle for the soul of this nation,” he continues. “I believe history will look back on four years of this president and all he embraces as an aberrant moment of time, but if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation.”
Biden’s announcement comes after months of signaling that he would enter the race during a string of public appearances that were interrupted by allegations from multiple women that he invaded their personal space and made them feel uncomfortable during his time serving as vice president. Biden apologized and pledged to moderate his behavior according to what he cast as new societal conventions.
President Obama praised Biden but did not offer an official endorsement in a statement provided to the New York Times.
“President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made,” said Katie Hill, Mr. Obama’s spokeswoman. “He relied on the vice president’s knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. The two forged a special bond over the last 10 years and remain close today.”
Biden’s candidacy is expected to be buoyed by support from large donors and institutions, a fundraising structure that could prove a liability as fellow candidates tout their grass roots support. Widely viewed as a stabilizing force capable of fortifying and extending President Obama’s legacy, Biden is leading the 20-candidate Democratic field in most polling averages by a healthy margin.
The candidate will appear on ABC’s The View Friday morning before traveling to Pittsburgh Monday for a campaign rally.