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With most of the political attention focused on the midterm elections, there's also been a steady drumbeat of speculation around the 2024 presidential race of late.
The whispers around 2024 moved back into the spotlight this month after The New York Times spoke to frustrated Democrats about the party's direction, although the conversations have never spent too much time on the back burner considering President Biden's low approval rating and former President Trump's repeated signals that he wants to run again.
Here's a look at some of the latest developments in the shadow 2024 campaign.
Clyburn backs Biden, then Harris
The Wall Street Journal wrote its own story about the speculation swirling around Biden, on that includes a telling quote from South Carolina Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn, one of Biden's most important allies in his 2020 primary bid.
“Right now, I’m for Biden, and second I’m for Harris — that’s one and two on the ticket, but that’s one and two in my heart as well,” he told the Wall Street Journal. “So I don’t care who goes to New Hampshire or Iowa, I’m for Biden and then I’m for Harris — either together or in that order.”
Pritzker travels to New Hampshire
Summertime may be the best time to spend in the Chicago area, but that didn't stop Democratic Gov. J.B Pritzker from traveling to New Hampshire this past weekend to address the state party.
The billionaire has his own re-election fight to worry about this fall, and the Chicago Sun-Times reports his camp downplayed aside any connection between the trip and aspirations for higher office (the northeast is home to a handful of tight gubernatorial races this cycle). But any visit to Iowa or New Hampshire is bound to raise some eyebrows.
Doug Jones says: 'Let Joe be Joe'
Former Sen. Doug Jones, R-Ala., joined The Chuck ToddCast last week, where he brushed aside questions about Biden's political future but said the White House has "overcorrected" and should "Let Joe be Joe" despite worries about gaffes.
“The pandemic has created a little bit of a problem. I mean, after all, he is 78 years old and there needs to be a level of protection around the president. But he can connect with people so well — I’ve never, hardly except for Bill Clinton and a few others, had somebody that can connect on a personal basis. And I think they need to get back to that,” he added.
Clinton says: No way
The Financial Times spoke with 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, asking her if she could imagine running for president again.
“No, out of the question,” Clinton said. “First of all, I expect Biden to run. He certainly intends to run. It would be very disruptive to challenge that.”
Polis: Biden can 'turn this around'
Asked about the speculation about Biden in the Times during his Friday appearance Meet the Press NOW, Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis said Biden has "every opportunity to turn this around."
“Maybe pull some new blood into the administration, get the policies right to save people money. I think it’d be a whole different ball game once his popularity recovers," he said, calling for the White House to end tariffs and push Congress to suspend the federal gas tax.
DeSantis spars with Democrats, raises big bucks
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis tangled with the White House and Democrats this week over the state's plans for Covid vaccines for young children. The clash prompted the Democratic National Committee to attack DeSantis in a digital ad in the state, where the Republican (seen as a top GOP presidential candidate) is running for re-election.
Speaking of DeSantis possibly running for president, Politico is up with a new story that looks at his fundraising, noting he received $3.4 million from 10 top Trump donors.
Trump toys with audience about potential bid, again
In what's become a fixture of Trump's public speeches, he once again mused about a potential 2024 presidential bid during a speech at the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference.
"Would anybody like me to run for president?" he asked the crowd to cheers.