President Biden on Thursday waved off concerns about facing off against former President Trump in 2024, saying he'd be "very fortunate" if Trump ran again, CNN reports.
Why it matters: Trump has not formally made a bid for president, but he remains a pivotal figure in the GOP. A recent Wall Street Journal poll found that registered voters were split 45% to 45% in a hypothetical rematch between the two.
What he's saying: In between meetings with world leaders in Brussels, Biden was asked what he thought would happen to American foreign policy if someone else replaced him in office.
- He told reporters that he's not thinking about 2024, according to CNN.
- "I don't criticize anybody for asking that question. But the next election — I'd be very fortunate if I had that same man running against me," Biden said, adding that the upcoming midterms are his current priority.
- "We're a long way off in elections, a long way off. My focus of any election is on making sure that we retain the House and the United States Senate so that I have the room to continue to do the things that I've been able to do, in terms of grow the economy and deal in a rational way with American foreign policy and be the leader of the free world," he said.
The big picture: Biden traveled to Brussels this week to coordinate a plan with NATO allies in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
