Not even halfway through the presidential primary calendar,Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT) marked a crystallising moment for a nation uneasy with its choices in 2024.
There is no longer any doubt that the November election will feature a rematch between two flawed and unpopular presidents. At 81,Biden is already the oldest president in US history,while the 77-year-old Trump is facing decades in prison as a defendant in four criminal cases. Their rematch – the first featuring two US presidents since 1912 – will almost certainly deepen the nation’s searing political and cultural divides over the eight-month grind that lies ahead.
In a statement,Biden celebrated the nomination while casting Trump as a serious threat to democracy.
Trump,Biden said,“is running a campaign of resentment,revenge,and retribution that threatens the very idea of America”.
“I am honoured that the broad coalition of voters representing the rich diversity of the Democratic Party across the country have put their faith in me once again to lead our party — and our country — in a moment when the threat Trump poses is greater than ever,” he continued.
On the eve of Tuesday’s primaries,Trump acknowledged that Biden would be the Democratic nominee,even as seized on the president’s age.