Former President Barack Obama warned President Joe Biden earlier this summer not to underestimate the campaign of former President Donald Trump ahead of a possible rematch in 2024.
The warning to Biden from Obama came during a private lunch at the White House in late June, The Washington Post reported Wednesday based on two anonymous sources familiar with the meeting.
Obama described Trump as a “more formidable candidate than many Democrats realize,” according to The Washington Post. He reportedly pointed to the former president’s devoted electoral base, his media savvy, and general polarization.
Obama said in the meeting that he would do whatever was needed to support Biden’s reelection run, the report detailed. The sources said Obama made clear he had no concerns with Biden’s campaign but rather with Trump’s control over the GOP.
Trump maintains a 36% lead in GOP primary polls, according to the RealClearPolitics average. Biden holds a 1% lead in polls of a potential general election rematch against Trump, according to the same average.
The White House advertised the meeting as a regular catchup between the two, which they said included discussions about a variety of political topics, The Washington Post reported. Other topics of conversation included updates on family and vacation plans.
“No one has been a stronger supporter of the Biden-Harris Administration and its agenda than President Obama, his team, and veterans of the Obama-Biden Administration,” Andrew Bates, a White House spokesman, told The Washington Post.
Obama campaigned for Democrats in 2022 and 2020. The Washington Post cited an anonymous source that said Obama is set to begin fundraising for Biden this fall.
Obama, after the meeting, recorded a video aimed to boost Biden’s 2024 campaign, The Washington Post reported.
“Giving five or 10 bucks — whatever you can — to Joe Biden’s campaign makes a real difference,” Obama said in the video. “Let me tell you why, from a guy who’s won a couple of these. Donations from grass-roots supporters like you made up the majority of Joe’s campaign revenue last time.”
