Sen. Bernie Sanders is not ruling out the possibility of a 2024 presidential bid if Biden declines to pursue re-election

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is not ruling out the possibility of a 2024 White House bid if President Joe Biden decides not to seek a second term, the Washington Post reported, citing a campaign memo that a political adviser had disseminated to allies.

"In the event of an open 2024 Democratic presidential primary, Sen. Sanders has not ruled out another run for president, so we advise that you answer any questions about 2024 with that in mind," the memo from Sanders adviser Faiz Shakir noted, according to the Post.

During an interview on MSNBC's "Meet the Press Daily," Shakir indicated that Sanders is not going to mount a primary challenge against Biden.

Sanders Memo Says He’s Leaving His ‘Options Open’ On 2024 To See What Democratic Field Looks Likeyoutu.be

Sanders, an independent leftist lawmaker who is part of the Senate Democratic caucus, pursued presidential bids during the last two election cycles.

"While it’s frustrating this private memo leaked to the media, the central fact remains true, which is that Senator Sanders is the most popular officeholder in the country," Sanders spokesperson Mike Casca said, according to the Post.

Biden has previously said that if he has "good health" he will seek re-election.

According to the Post, the memo supplies proposed replies to possible questions such as, "Sen. Sanders is an independent and an avowed Democratic Socialist. Why are you accepting his endorsement?"

The suggested response is, "Sen. Sanders is putting forward an extremely popular vision for the Democratic Party that will win back critical support that we have lost. In fact, Bernie wants to build power for the working class and take on the corporate socialism that our political system currently favors."

The memo includes the potential question, "Will you support Sanders if he challenges Biden in 2024?"

The suggested answer to that question is, "Sen. Sanders is focused on helping Joe Biden have a successful presidency. As Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, no one fought harder for the president’s policy agenda than Bernie. He traveled to Republican Congressional Districts last summer to promote Build Back Better. Unfortunately, that legislation was stopped by corporate Democrats."

The president has been facing lackluster job approval ratings in various polls for some time — if this trend persists in the months ahead, it could prove to be a liability for Democrats during the midterm elections.