Former US President Barack Obama has asked Biden’s advisers to strengthen the reelection campaign by engaging top-level decision-makers or elevating those already in place at the headquarters, despite low voter approval, which could lead to Donald Trump’s return to power in 2024.
According to the Washington Post, Obama and Biden discussed the campaign during a previously undisclosed private lunch at the White House in recent months, according to persons familiar with the matter. The former president reportedly became “animated” when discussing the 2024 elections and the possibility of former President Donald Trump winning.
Obama, the 44th President of the United States, recalled the success of his reelection campaign in 2012, when several of his top advisers took command of reelection operations on the ground around the country, and criticised Biden’s approach of leaving his advisors in the White House.
According to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Obama did not refer to anything specific in the campaign structure, but rather advised that it “move aggressively” since Trump appeared to be taking the lead in the Republican presidential primary contest in 2024.
Obama, who served as the 44th president of the US, recalled the success of his 2012 reelection campaign when some of his top aides took charge of the reelection operations on the ground across the country, and criticized Biden’s approach of leaving his advisors in the White House.
According to the people, who spoke to the outlet on the condition of anonymity, Obama did not refer to anything specific in the campaign structure but rather suggested that it needs to “move aggressively” as Trump appears to take the lead in the 2024 Republican presidential nominating contest.
He did not identify any specific candidates for the campaign’s recruitment, but apparently named his senior strategist David Plouffe, who headed Obama’s 2008 campaign, as someone who could help.
The Biden campaign and Obama’s spokespeople did not respond to the Washington Post’s request for comment.
Obama, on the other hand, has long been concerned about Donald Trump’s political power, warning earlier this year that he may be a more serious competitor than many Democrats realise. He is concerned not only about Biden’s low polling numbers, but also about the effectiveness of his unconventional 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.
Former top presidential adviser David Axelrod said on Friday that while he couldn’t comment on Obama’s meetings with Biden, each president approaches reelection differently. Back in November, Axelrod advised that Biden consider withdrawing from the 2024 race.
According to recent polls done by the Washington Post, Biden’s approval rating hit a new low before the end of the year, with only 38% of Americans approving of his performance. Voters, even a majority of Democrats, are concerned about Biden’s age and his handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
