Former President Barack Obama has reportedly met with President Joe Biden at least twice since June of 2023 to warn him of an impending Trump electoral victory if meaningful action is not taken, according to a report from TIME Magazine.
The inside source says that during the June meeting, Obama expressed that Biden needed to take a more aggressive approach in his campaign messaging by making the 2024 election a referendum on Trump instead of trying to promote his own agenda.
In December, Obama returned and is said to have even more urgently impressed upon Biden the need for an overhaul in the Democratic campaign. Among his concerns were the need to expand field operations that were behind schedule and for Biden to open himself up to a group of political advisors outside of his immediate circle.
Obama also reportedly said that defeating Trump this election cycle would likely be more difficult than in 2020.
Even more urgently, Obama is said to believe that if the Biden campaign does not get its act together that Trump could sweep 7 battleground states and guarantee him a solid victory. This view is in line with polling that indicates Trump has significant leads in Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada and Wisconsin.
Although Biden and Obama have long served together in both the Senate and as partners in the White House, sources say that there is actually a sense of rivalry between them. This is not entirely surprising, considering that Biden is one of the longest-standing career politicians in Washington, having been a senator since 1973. Obama, on the other hand, was a charismatic young senator with much less experience when he was catapulted to the presidency largely on fame and personality alone.
Although there may be some feuding between them and whether or not Biden will heed his advice is unknown, it is clear that Obama has an open invitation to give his input not only at the White House, but with other world leaders as well. On March 18, Obama was spotted in London meeting with the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The rendezvous was labeled a “courtesy visit” but it is unknown exactly what the two discussed.
Barack Obama is currently at 10 Downing Street meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The Biden administration had a conniption last week when Viktor Orban of Hungary met with President Trump.
Will Obama be held to the same standard?? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/0g7ptKpnPt
— The Maine Wire (@TheMaineWire) March 18, 2024
With the election coming closer every day, time is running out for Biden to make it less about him and more about Trump. However, one thing is for sure — voters will have to choose between an incumbent candidate influenced by handlers and a returning challenger ready to once again challenge the establishment status quo.