Barack Obama Thinks Biden Could Lose To Trump, Tells Allies Victory Chances 'Diminished': WaPo
Former President Barack Obama is among the growing number of Democrats who are concerned about President Joe Biden's chances of winning against former President Donald Trump in the upcoming election.
The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, reported that the ex-POTUS told allies he thinks Biden should reconsider his run for reelection.
Obama reportedly said during these conversations that he believes Biden's chances of securing a second term in the White House "greatly diminished" following his disastrous June 27 debate performance and succeeding appearances.
Obama told allies that his priority was to protect Biden's legacy, which could be tarnished if Trump is reelected.
However, Obama has told people that only Biden could make the call on whether to stay in the race.
Meanwhile, Biden's aides allegedly were not happy with Obama because he did not urge Democrats to remain united behind Biden's candidacy and stop his pal George Clooney from publicly calling on the president to withdraw from the 2024 race, according to the publication.
However, an unnamed source told the Post that one top Biden campaign official, Jeffrey Katzenberg, did attempt -- and ultimately failed -- to stop Clooney from publishing his New York Times op-ed.
Since the debate, Obama has spoken directly to Biden only once, the Post reported. During the conversation, he reportedly offered his former VP support and advice.
Obama also expressed support for Biden on social media following the debate, emphasizing that the latter remains a much better option than Trump despite the "bad debate night."
Earlier this month, a Biden campaign spokesperson said the president was "grateful for President Obama's unwavering support since the very start of this campaign as both a powerful messenger to voters and a trusted adviser directly to the president."
However, Obama hasn't publicly spoken in favor of Biden staying in the race since then.
Odds that Biden would drop out surged Wednesday after the White House announced that the president tested positive for COVID-19.
In an interview that aired earlier that day, Biden said he would reevaluate his candidacy if a medical condition "emerged."
Despite this, the Biden campaign said Thursday that he remains firm on his decision to run for reelection.
"He is not wavering on anything," principal deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks said. "The president has made his decision."
