Former President Donald Trump could be a more formidable candidate than many Democrats realize, former President Barack Obama warned President Joe Biden at a private lunch earlier this summer.
Obama also told Biden he would do all he could to help the president get reelected, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.
During the June 27 lunch, held at the White House residence, Obama expressed concern that Trump's intensely loyal supporters, conservative media, and a polarized country could combine to make the Republican front-runner for the nomination a very strong candidate.
New York Times/Siena College poll results Tuesday showed Trump and Biden tied, each with 43%, in a hypothetical rematch of 2020.
The Post based its Obama–Biden lunch report on information from two people familiar with the private meeting, the contents of which have not previously been reported.
People briefed on the lunch conversation said Obama and Biden discussed a range of political, policy, and personal matters, including updates about their families, the Post said.
Obama is expected to begin fundraising for Biden in the fall, the Post reported, citing a person familiar with the plans.
"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," Biden campaign spokesman TJ Ducklo said in a statement.
Still highly popular among Democrats, Obama likely will help his party's presidential nominee in a way similar to 2020 and 2022, when he held large rallies in swing states, hosted fundraisers, and recorded ads in competitive congressional races.
He also targeted young voters by appearing in nontraditional settings, such as collaborations with TikTok influencers and an interview during the NBA Finals.
Eric Schultz, a senior adviser to Obama, said Biden's former boss will seek to maximize his campaign activity.
"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," Schultz said in a statement, the Post reported. "We are deliberate in picking our moments because our objective is to move the needle."
Obama is expected to host a fundraiser at Martha's Vineyard later in August to benefit the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, which looks to combat Republicans' success in drawing legislative and congressional districts.
Obama's early support of Biden is notable because in 2016, the then-president made clear to aides that he believed Hillary Clinton should be the Democrats' nominee, and in 2020 he declined to endorse Biden until the party's nomination was secured.
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