While he puts on a united front with his embattled former vice president, Barack Obama is privately worried that Joe Biden could lose re-election after his debate disaster, according to the Washington Post.
In recent days, Obama has confided his worries to his inner circle, the report said. The report contradicts Obama's public support for Biden, who is facing growing pressure to step aside.
Over the past year, Obama has met with Biden in private to share concerns about his re-election campaign. But since last week's debate, concerns about Biden have grown into a genuine panic among his fellow Democrats.
Obama called Biden after the debate and shared advice, the Washington Post said, although the sources did not share insight on what Obama said.
While few Democrats have denied that Biden performed badly, they have downplayed his performance as just one bad night.
Obama did the same in a post on X last week, in which he emphasized the high stakes of Biden's re-election battle.
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. Between someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the…
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 28, 2024
Despite Obama's concerns, Biden's embattled re-election campaign thanked him for his "unwavering support" in a statement to the Washington Post.
"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 spokeswoman for the Biden campaign, said in a statement.
Biden's eagerness to latch onto his former boss shows the growing desperation of his position, as speculation mounts of a last-minute coup to replace Biden with a more competent nominee.
Barack Obama's wife Michelle Obama has often been cited as a more electable alternative, but she has dismissed the idea of seeking public office in the past.
For now, Biden is remaining defiant, with his family backing him. In a crisis call with his campaign staff on Wednesday, Biden reportedly said, "no one is pushing me out."
