BREAKING: Obama Turns on Biden in Leaked Story
Former President Barack Obama has recently shared with close associates that he believes President Biden's chances of winning have significantly decreased and that Biden should carefully consider the feasibility of his campaign, according to several informed sources.
Obama has communicated with Biden only once since the debate, making it clear in other conversations that the future of Biden's campaign is for the president to decide. He has stressed that his primary concern is to protect Biden and his legacy, and he has resisted the notion that he alone can sway Biden's decision-making process.
Privately, Obama has been heavily involved in discussions about the future of Biden's campaign, receiving calls from numerous worried Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and expressing his thoughts on the president's challenges, according to individuals familiar with these discussions, who requested anonymity to speak about private conversations.
Obama's spokesperson declined to comment.
Obama views his role as an advisor and supporter to his former vice president, telling allies he feels a sense of duty to protect Biden. In these discussions, Obama has said he believes Biden has been an excellent president and wants to safeguard his achievements, which could be at risk if Republicans control the White House and both chambers of Congress next year.
In some conversations, Obama, known for relying on data for political insights, has voiced concerns that the polls are shifting away from Biden, that former President Donald Trump’s chances of winning are increasing, and that donors are withdrawing support from Biden.
Publicly, Biden and his campaign team have remained resolute, stating the president will not exit the race. On Wednesday, Biden cut short a campaign trip in Las Vegas after testing positive for the coronavirus. He returned to Rehoboth Beach, Del., where he has a vacation home, to quarantine.
Principal Deputy Campaign Manager Quentin Fulks stated Thursday morning that Biden’s campaign was proceeding as planned. “He is not wavering on anything,” Fulks said. “The president has made his decision. I don’t want to be rude, but I don’t know how many more times we can answer that.”
Obama’s concerns emerge amid growing anxiety within the Democratic Party about Biden’s prospects and the potential effects on other candidates. Democratic donors, activists, and elected officials are increasingly looking to a small group of experienced leaders to help navigate the crisis triggered by Biden’s poor debate performance on June 27.
Top Democrats in Congress, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), have both spoken directly with Biden in the past week, expressing widespread concerns that his campaign could jeopardize Democratic control of either legislative body next year.
Pelosi has taken an even more proactive role behind the scenes, resisting Biden’s efforts to quell the debate about his ongoing candidacy, according to individuals familiar with her actions, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
Obama, perhaps the party’s most respected figure, has attempted to maintain a lower profile, relying on his long-standing friendship with Biden, his former running mate and vice president. However, Obama’s leadership of the party from 2008 to 2016 has made him a key point of contact for concerns throughout the party.
Former Obama advisers, including his counselor David Axelrod and a group of younger aides now running the Crooked Media podcast company, are among the most outspoken Democrats suggesting that Biden may no longer have a viable path to victory.
Democrats have observed national polls turning away from Biden since the debate, showing the president trailing in key battleground states. Strategists are preparing for the possibility of Trump receiving another boost from his nominating convention, as he did in 2016 and 2020, and a potential rise in his favorability ratings following the recent assassination attempt on him.
The Post previously reported that Obama had expressed concerns about Biden’s future after the debate and that the two presidents had spoken in the days following. However, in the weeks since, Obama’s concerns about Biden’s campaign have only deepened, according to those familiar with the situation.
Meanwhile, some of Biden’s aides have been frustrated with Obama’s involvement in these discussions, accusing him of not keeping the party unified behind Biden’s campaign. After the debate, Obama posted a supportive message for Biden on social media.
“Bad debate nights happen,” Obama wrote. “Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself.”
Since then, Obama has been mostly silent publicly. However, Biden aides say Obama could have prevented Academy Award-winning actor George Clooney, a close friend of the former president, from writing an op-ed in the New York Times urging Biden to withdraw from the presidential race.
Jeffrey Katzenberg, a top Biden campaign official, tried to dissuade Clooney, a long-time friend, from publishing the piece but was unsuccessful, according to someone familiar with the outreach.