- Barack Obama has reportedly warned Joe Biden about how strong a challenge Donald Trump will be in their second election battle in 2024.
- President Biden asks Obama for help in winning a second term amid a tight race with Trump, according to sources.
- Polling now shows Trump and Biden closely matched for a second presidential contest.
- Trump faces unprecedented legal jeopardy including 78 criminal charges, over hush-money payments, and retention of classified information.
- Biden has faced many challenges as president, including the Covid pandemic, economic difficulties, political polarization, and Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Current US President Joe Biden has asked Barack Obama to help him win a second term as president in 2024, amid a tight race with Donald Trump, who is expected to be the Republican nominee again.
Right now, Trump is facing multiple criminal charges but still dominates the polls among his party.
The Washington Post reported that Obama and Biden had a private lunch at the White House in June, where Obama “promised to do all, he could to help the president get re-elected”. According to two insiders who were familiar with the meeting, Biden was eager to secure Obama’s support, as he is the most popular Democrat in the country.
Biden was Obama’s vice president from 2009 to 2017, but their relationship has been complicated by reports that Obama was reluctant to endorse Biden for his third presidential bid in 2020. President Biden had failed to win the Democratic nomination in 1988 and 2008 when he lost to Obama, who is 19 years younger than him.
The 80-year-old managed to win the nomination and the election in 2020, with the help of African American voters and Obama’s campaign efforts. He defeated Trump by more than 7 million votes and a clear margin in the electoral college, despite Trump’s refusal to concede and his incitement of a violent attack on the US Capitol.
Biden has faced many challenges as president, including the Covid pandemic, economic difficulties, political polarization, and Russian aggression against Ukraine. He has achieved some notable successes, but his approval ratings remain low.
Eric Schultz, an Obama adviser, did not comment on the June lunch to the Post. “We place a huge emphasis on finding creative ways to reach new audiences, especially tools that can be directly tied to voter mobilization or volunteer activations. We are deliberate in picking our moments because our objective is to move the needle,” he said.
A Biden campaign spokesperson, TJ Ducklo, expressed, “President Biden is grateful for Obama’s unwavering support, and looks forward to once again campaigning side-by-side … to win in 2024 and finish the job for the American people.”
(With inputs from agencies)
