Former President Barack Obama has reportedly expressed concerns about President Joe Biden's viability as a candidate in the upcoming election. According to multiple sources, Obama has been speaking with allies and Democratic leaders, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, about the future of Biden's campaign.
Obama is said to have emphasized that he feels protective of Biden and wants to protect his accomplishments as president. However, he has also expressed concerns about the polls moving away from Biden, former President Donald Trump's expanding electoral path, and donors abandoning the president.
Despite these concerns, Biden and his campaign advisers have remained defiant, stating that the president will not drop out of the race. Principal deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks said that Biden's campaign is moving ahead and that he is not wavering on anything.
Obama's concerns come amidst a growing anxiety within the Democratic Party about Biden's prospects and their potential impact on other candidates. Democratic donors, activists, and elected officials are increasingly turning to veteran leaders to help guide them out of the crisis created by Biden's bungled debate performance.
Congress's top Democrats, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, have both spoken directly with Biden in the past week, warning about the widely held concerns that his candidacy could hurt the chances for Democratic control of either legislative body next year.
Pelosi has reportedly taken an even more active role behind the scenes, resisting efforts by Biden to end the debate about his continued candidacy. Meanwhile, some of Biden's aides have reportedly fumed about Obama's role in these conversations, blaming him for not keeping the party united behind Biden's candidacy.
Obama has largely been silent publicly since the debate, but Biden aides say he could have stopped Academy Award-winning actor George Clooney, a close friend of the former president, from writing an op-ed in the New York Times that called on Biden to drop out of the presidential race.
It remains to be seen how this will impact the upcoming election, but it is clear that there is growing concern within the Democratic Party about Biden's viability as a candidate.
Sources:
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