Biden goes a step further, says he 'plans on running' for a 2024 re-election campaign

• Biden went further in teasing a 2024 announcement on Monday.
• The president told NBC's Al Roker that he plans on running, pushing closer to a formal announcement.

President Joe Biden said on Monday that he plans on running in 2024, taking a step closer to announcing his 2024 reelection campaign.

"I plan on running, Al, but we're not prepared to announce it yet," Biden told NBC's Al Roker during an interview on the "Today" show.

Biden has continued to mull his political future even as the field of Republican challengers continues to grow. Then-White House chief of staff Ron Klain expected a decision to come after the holidays, a point that came and went. First Lady Jill Biden is widely viewed as key to the president's decision.

Biden herself has said that the president is "pretty much" ready to run. If Biden won a second term, he would be 82 on Inauguration Day, breaking his own mark as the oldest sitting president.

The 2024 field is growing, some on the Republican side observed candidates are waiting longer to declare than in past cycles. At the top of the list is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the only candidate who polls near former President Donald Trump's level in the GOP primary. DeSantis is not expected to announce until after Florida's legislative session ends in May.

The president has also said in the past that by delaying an announcement, he is avoiding some of the campaign-finance burdens that would be triggered.

"The reason I'm not making a judgment about formally running or not running, once I make that judgment, a whole series of regulations kick in and I have to be – I treat myself as a candidate from that moment on. I have not made that formal decision, but it's my intention – my intention to run again. And we have time to make that decision," Biden told MSNBC's Jonathan Capehart last October.

Biden and the first lady were joining Roker to discuss the annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn. The veteran NBC host teased the president's future by asking how many more Easter Egg Rolls Biden expects to lead.

"At least three or four more," Biden said, laughing. "Maybe five, maybe six."