The former president is worried that the Democrat’s campaign is not flexible enough for the increasingly heated race
Former US President Barack Obama has urged Joe Biden’s advisers to bolster his reelection efforts by empowering the campaign to act without having to seek approval from the White House – amid lackluster voter approval for the current president – according to the Washington Post.
Obama and Biden discussed the campaign during a previously unreported private lunch at the White House in recent months, the Washington Post reported in an article published on Saturday, citing sources familiar with the matter. The former president reportedly became “animated” while talking about the 2024 election and the prospect of former President Donald Trump winning the race.
Obama, who served as the 44th president, recalled the success of his 2012 campaign, when top aides took charge of the reelection operations on the ground across the country, and criticized Biden’s approach of leaving his advisers in the White House.
According to sources who spoke to the outlet on condition of anonymity, Obama did not refer to anything specific in the campaign structure, but suggested that it needs to “move aggressively” as Trump has built a solid lead among candidates in his party ahead of the Republican primaries, polls indicate.
He did not recommend any specific individuals to be recruited by the campaign, but reportedly mentioned his senior strategist, David Plouffe, who led Obama’s 2008 race, as an example of someone who could help.
The Biden campaign and Obama’s spokespersons did not respond to a request for comment from the Washington Post.
Obama warned earlier this year that Donald Trump could be a more formidable challenger than many Democrats realize. He is reportedly not only concerned about Biden’s weak polling numbers, but also the effectiveness of his unorthodox campaign structure.
Biden’s campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodrigues is based in the campaign’s headquarters in Wilmington. At the same time, the top aides – Anita Dunn, Jen O’Malley Dillon, Mike Donilon, and Steve Ricchetti work from the White House, which means that all important decisions need to go through the White House first. Some Democrats raised their concerns that the campaign may not be able to immediately respond to fast-moving developments.
David Axelrod, the former senior presidential advisor, said on Friday that while he cannot comment on Obama’s discussions with Biden, each president approaches his reelection differently. Back in November, Axelrod suggested that Biden should consider dropping out of the 2024 race.
Biden’s support rating hit a record low before the year’s end with just 38% of voters approving his performance, according to the polls recently conducted by the Washington Post. Voters, including a majority of Democrats, are particularly concerned about Biden’s age as well as his handling of the Israel-Hamas war.
