Joe Biden has a presidential campaign ready to roll but is questioning whether he is the right man for the moment, sources close to him say.
Biden, 77, has voiced concerns himself about dragging his family through the primary process if he doesn't have a decent chance of winning.
Nevertheless, the former Vice President's longtime advisers Steve Ricchetti and Mike Donilon have been interviewing Obama-era aides to flesh his the campaign team should he make the announcement, The Hill reports.
Joe Biden's close advisers have been interviewing Obama-era aides to fill out his campaign if he decides to run, sources close to the planning have said
But Biden has questioned whether he wants to drag his family through the process against a competitive field (pictured with wife Jill and grandaughters Finnegan, left, and Naomi, right)
Greg Schultz, who served as his political director in the White House, is expected to be campaign manager.
Donilon will take up post as chief strategist while Ricchetti, Biden's chief of staff in the White House, will take an overseeing role.
Kate Bedingfield is expected to reprise her White House role as his communications director while Tony Blinken, Biden's longtime foreign policy adviser, will also take on a senior position.
But questions remain among strategists over whether Biden is the right man to take on Trump in the presidential race.
The clamor for Biden to join the pack has quieted as the Democratic field has grown more crowded and diverse, according to interviews with more than two dozen strategists, activists, party organizers and voters.
Opinion polls show Biden, a former U.S. senator from Delaware who served two terms as former President Barack Obama's vice president, remains popular. But the Democratic Party may no longer need him in order to be competitive against Trump.
'I love Joe Biden. He's a great guy and a great politician,' said Jerry Shriner, a Democratic National Committee member from Idaho. 'I wish he were the president right now. But I'm not sure I wish he is president in 2021.'
Democrats are in the early stages of an internal debate about how best to challenge Trump in next year's presidential election, weighing factors like electability, ideology and identity.
The strength of the field - expected to include at least six sitting U.S. senators, plus several current or former governors, U.S. House of Representatives members and a former Cabinet secretary - is a factor in Biden's calculations, those close to him say.
He will be more likely to remain on the sidelines if he feels a strong candidate capable of beating Trump is emerging.
Bernie Sanders has emerged as an early heavyweight in the fight to take the Democrat nomination after his unexpectedly successful campaign in 2016
Kamala Harris, who drew national attention during her questioning of Brett Kavanaugh, and Elizabeth Warren, who has campaign against income inequality, both announced early
But a source close to Biden said: 'If I had to guess, he's probably going to do it.'
Biden associates have held discussions with potential staffers and supporters who could serve political strategy, grassroots organizing and digital campaign roles, according to two sources. One source said those conversations were necessary to quickly ramp up a formal campaign operation should Biden decide to run.
Some party activists say, however, that Biden
