Joe Biden won’t commit to running for second term if he’s elected president

Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden on Thursday said he would not commit to running for a second term in the White House if he wins next November.

“No, I’m not willing to commit one way or another,” Mr. Biden said at the Democratic presidential debate in Los Angeles. “Here’s the deal - I’m not even elected one term yet, and let’s see where we are. Let’s see what happens.”

Moderator Tim Alberta pointed out that Mr. Biden would turn 82 years old at the end of his first term and be the oldest president in “American history.”

“Winston Churchill,” Mr. Biden replied.

“American history,” Mr. Alberta repeated.

“I was joking - that was a joke,” Mr. Biden said.

Politico reported last week that Mr. Biden was signaling to aides that he would only serve a single term if elected, though Mr. Biden and his team have pushed back on that idea.