Obama cautiously advises Biden after shaky debate performance, looming rematch with Trump: report
Despite showing support and encouragement for his once VP, former President Barack Obama is reportedly concerned about Biden's road to re-election following his poor debate performance.
President Biden has enlisted top A-listers to help push his campaign for re-election, and that includes perhaps the top Democrat of all, former President Barack Obama.
But after Biden’s creaky performance in the first presidential debate against former President Donald Trump last week, it seems that even Obama might have doubts about Biden’s prospect of winning a second term this November.
Obama called Biden after the debate to offer more words of encouragement, according to The Washington Post, which also reported that Obama told private supporters that Biden’s road to re-election has become more difficult since Thursday.
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An Obama spokesperson didn’t comment on the remarks made privately to the Post, but a Biden campaign spokesperson said Obama has given his former vice president "unwavering" support.
"President Biden is 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," Lauren Hitt, a spokesperson for the Biden campaign, said.
Obama hasn’t publicly called for any Biden withdrawal, but has suggested his former vice president keep pushing forward.
"Bad debate nights happen. 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," Obama stated on social media after the debate.
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"Between someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the American people straight — and someone who lies through his teeth for his own benefit. Last night didn’t change that, and it’s why so much is at stake in November."
This comes on the heels of Obama reportedly acknowledging the possibility of Trump’s political strengths and potential chops to win another term.
Obama, who remains one of the biggest names in the Democratic Party, has attended two major fundraisers for Biden in the past few months, including a ritzy fundraiser in March with former President Bill Clinton in New York City at Radio City Music Hall.
Last month, Obama attended a fundraiser with Biden in Los Angeles that was hosted by actors George Clooney and Julia Roberts, an event that raised more than $30 million.