OAN’s Noah Herring
3:25 PM – Thursday, August 3, 2023
During a private lunch with President Biden earlier this summer, Barack Obama voiced concerns that former President Donald Trump poses a bigger political threat than Democrat officials realize.
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At the private lunch with Biden in June, the 44th president told Biden not to underestimate Trump and pledged to do anything he can to support Biden’s reelection bid, according to Washington Post’s White House reporter Tyler Pager, who spoke with two people that attended the meeting.
According to the individuals familiar with the meeting, Obama, “voiced concern about Donald Trump’s political strengths — including an intensely loyal following, a Trump-friendly conservative media ecosystem and a polarized country — underlining his worry that Trump could be a more formidable candidate than many Democrats realize.”
According to Pager, Obama “promised to do all he could to help the president get reelected,” which was a gesture that was welcomed by the White House at the time.
Aides of the former president say that Obama will “reprise his playbook from recent elections.”
When questioned about the discreet lunch, senior Obama adviser Eric Schultz declined to comment, although he did confirm, “Obama will tailor his campaign activity to maximize its effect.”
“President Biden is grateful for his unwavering support, and looks forward to once again campaigning side-by-side with President Obama to win in 2024 and finish the job for the American people,” TJ Ducklo, a spokesman for the Biden campaign, said in a statement.
The lunch meeting was reportedly a regular “catch up” meeting, where they discuss a “range of political, policy, and personal matters, including updates about their families.”
Even though Trump’s skyrocketing poll numbers and lead over the Republican party were a major topic, “The White House said there was no specific agenda for the June 27 meeting,” according to Pager.
Obama will reportedly start fundraising for Biden this fall, according to those familiar with Obama’s campaign plans.
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