Biden reelection bid not official, but fundraising to begin: source

WASHINGTON, DC UNITED STATES- JANUARY 26: President Joe Biden departs a Lunar New Years celebration at the White House on January 26th, 2023 in Washington, DC. Nathan Posner / Anadolu Agency (Photo by Nathan Posner / ANADOLU AGENCY / Anadolu Agency via AFP)

(AFP) - US President Joe Biden -- who has not yet announced any plans to run for reelection, though he's openly considering another campaign -- will attend two Democratic fundraising events next week, a party source told AFP.

Biden will head to New York on Tuesday and Philadelphia on Friday to meet with wealthy supporters, hoping to convince them to donate to the Democratic Party ahead of the 2024 elections.

Such fundraisers are essential in American political campaigns, which are fueled by hundreds of millions of dollars in private donations.

Despite Biden's official silence, the structure of a presidential run is slowly taking form around him.

In December, the president convinced the Democrats to change up their primary schedule to a configuration that could give more power to Black voters, a bloc that proved indispensable for Biden's 2020 win over Donald Trump.

Biden, who at 80 is already the oldest sitting US president, has so far only said he "intends" to run again, and has promised he will make his final 2024 decision public early this year.

Political observers predict he could make an announcement after his State of the Union speech, when US presidents traditionally lay out their upcoming political agenda to a joint session of Congress -- scheduled for February 7.

© Agence France-Presse