Democratic Sen. Chris Coons (Del.) said on MSNBC Wednesday that he hopes former Vice President and fellow Delawarean Joe Biden runs for president in 2020.
"Hardball" host Chris Matthews interviewed Coons on his show Wednesday night, and brought up Biden for his last question. Matthews asked about the former Delaware senator, who is a friend of Coons, running for the nation’s highest office.
"Let me ask you another question: Is your buddy Joe Biden running for president?" Matthews asked. "I believe he is."
I don’t know that yet, but I’ll tell you, I’d be thrilled if he were," Coons replied.
"You’d be thrilled if he were — there’s a story," Matthews said.
Biden elected not to run for the Democratic nomination in 2016, stepping back for eventual nominee Hillary Clinton. Biden’s son Beau passed away in 2015, and Biden reportedly shared the story that Beau told him to run for president.
Biden’s daughter Ashley said in an interview published Thursday that she thinks her father will run in the 2020 presidential election.
"He is more vivacious and has more energy in his 70s than I do in my 30s," she said. "The man is sort of supercharged. So I think, if we get to that [decision] point, yeah, I think he will do it."
She added that Beau’s death was a major factor, along with Biden’s health, in whether he would ultimately choose to run.
"He’s taking it day by day after the loss of my dear beloved brother," she said. "He’ll make a decision when that time comes."
Biden has stayed involved in Democratic politics, along with work on the Biden Foundation. He has also opined on Democrats’ election strategy, and his criticisms of Hillary Clinton’s campaign drew the ire of the 2016 nominee.