President Biden leaves a Palm Sunday service at St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church in Wilmington, Del., on Sunday. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
President Biden's advisers and close allies don't expect him to announce a run for re-election any time soon — and some now believe it could come as late as July, or perhaps even the fall.
Why it matters: Biden's waiting game has left many ambitious Democrats and would-be staffers with their 2024 plans on hold. They initially thought Biden would launch a campaign soon after the Christmas break, after talking with his family.
Zoom in: There's no indication Biden has changed his mind about running for re-election.
What we're hearing: Biden and his inner circle don't see drawbacks to the president taking his time — he doesn't have a significant primary challenge, so for a while he can stay above the campaign fray and focus on governing.
Between the lines: The announcement timeline also could be affected by his advisers' desire for strong initial fundraising numbers, to avoid news reports about a lack of enthusiasm or vulnerability.
If Biden waits until May, some advisers might want to push the announcement until the third quarter, which begins in July.
Flashback: Biden has a history of delaying presidential campaign announcements. In 2019, he took months to make a final decision. Even after he chose to run, the announcement date was pushed back multiple times, according to Biden advisers familiar with the matter.
The bottom line: There's no mechanism pushing Biden to announce his re-election campaign soon. And there's no sign he will.