Former Vice President Joe Biden came closer than ever to announcing a bid for the White House during a Saturday Delaware Democrats fundraiser.
Biden then backtracked the statement, but not before the audience started cheering.
"I have the most progressive record of anybody running for the United . . . anybody who would run," Biden said, following the statement with a sigh and the sign of the cross.
The slip follows a week of Biden teasing whether or not he's planning on running for president. According to the Washington Post, Biden, 76, has repeatedly pushed back possible announcement dates for what would be his third run for the presidency.
On March 15, Biden held a private meeting with former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. A source close to Abrams told CNBC that the meeting was set at Biden's request, although Abrams said she hasn't ruled out her own 2020 presidential campaign and is being "heavily recruited" for the 2020 Senate race.
Prior to his meeting with Abrams, Biden teased a possible 2020 run on March 12 after taking the stage at a firefighters conference to chants of "Run Joe run!" According to CNN, Biden's team anticipates an official announcement could come as soon as April.
"I appreciate the energy you showed when I got up here. Save it a little longer, I may need it in a few weeks," Biden said at the International Association of Fire Fighters' annual legislative conference, CNN reported. "Be careful what you wish for."
Biden also told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell he "can't think of any reason" not to run.
During the rest of his Saturday night speech, Biden focused on President Donald Trump, accusing him of "backing away" from America's role as a world leader and inspiring further division in the nation.
"The only thing strong enough to tear America apart is America itself and we've seen its start," Biden said. "We're literally in a battle for the soul of America."
Biden accused Trump of backing away from America's role as a leader on the world stage and abandoning its allies, according to the Associated Press.
He also said it's no coincidence that "'fake news' has become the phrase of choice for every despot terrorizing his people," AP reported.
As he introduced Biden to the crowd Saturday night, Delaware Gov. John Carney said Biden looked "ready for a fight."
"I am not up here to break any news tonight," Carney said in the AP report. "In my humble opinion, we have never needed Joe Biden more than we need him right now."
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