Barack Obama is said to be increasingly worried about the possibility of President Joe Biden losing the November election to Donald Trump. A recent report from New York Magazine suggests that Obama is feeling “anxious” and has been having private discussions with Biden to strategize on how to protect their political legacy from Trump. The report, titled “What Obama is Whispering to Biden,” delves into the details of these secretive meetings between the two Democratic leaders. Obama is reportedly eager to secure the outcome of the 2024 election, given the current indicators.
Despite his concerns, Obama’s friends indicate that his worries are shared by other prominent Democrats and are not driven by any personal animosity towards Biden or his team. Obama is mindful of the divisive political and media environment in the country and has refrained from publicly criticizing Biden or his campaign. However, sources close to Obama suggest that he anticipates a tight race in 2024 and acknowledges the real possibility of a Trump victory.
Despite initially keeping his distance from Biden’s 2020 campaign, Obama eventually emerged as a crucial ally. He successfully persuaded campaign leaders Jen O’Malley Dillon and Anita Dunn to triple their digital budget. Additionally, Obama played a role in assembling a group of influential tech leaders to support Biden’s online operations. Notably, he enlisted the help of director Steven Spielberg, who contributed to the production of Biden’s convention programming. Interestingly, throughout his presidency, Biden and his team did not prioritize relying on Obama as heavily as they had in the previous election cycle.
However, as the rematch between Trump and Biden became inevitable in late 2023, Obama once again assumed a central role in the campaign. He offered a range of perspectives on campaign logistics and stressed the significance of expanding and retaining staff in crucial battleground states. Obama has also increased the frequency of discussions with campaign chair Dillon regarding strategies aimed at reaching out to young and black voters.
During a recent event with Biden and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, Obama said:
“I take great pride in what the Biden administration has accomplished.
“And it’s a reminder that we don’t have to just vote against something in this election.
“We have somebody to worry about.
“And there’s a whole agenda that we should be concerned about.”
