"Probably 50 of them. I am not the only one to beat him, but I will defeat him [Trump]," Biden told journalists in the White House on Wednesday, after being asked whether there were any Democrats besides himself who could beat the former president.
Biden's remarks follow comments Tuesday in which he admitted he was "not sure" that he would be running in 2024 if Trump was out of the picture. "If Trump wasn't running, I'm not sure I'd be running," the president said at a campaign event in Boston, saying he must run now because he "cannot let [Trump] win."
Biden's comments Wednesday assuring he could defeat Trump don't square with recent polling showing a steep slide in the president's ratings, owing in part to public concerns over the state of the economy and inflation, and in part to his full-on support for Israel in the ongoing Gaza crisis, which is reported to have cost him support among key demographics including young people and minorities.
Trump also leads the race for the Republican nomination by a wide margin, with polls showing him with between 54 and 68 percent support among Republicans, and only Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley polling in double digits, with between 11-18 and 10-16 percent support, respectively.