It’s no secret that President Joe Biden had a miserable performance in the first presidential debate against Republican Donald Trump last week.
Following that travesty, many top Democrats are worried about whether their party’s leader will be able to retain the White House in November’s elections, with some of them calling for him to step aside so somebody else can challenge Trump.
Even former President Barack Obama — who is perhaps the biggest name in the Democratic Party — has expressed his reservations about Biden’s chances.
The Washington Post reported recently that Obama gave his former vice president a call following the debate to encourage him. At the same time, Obama told some private supporters that the chances of Biden getting re-elected become much more challenging following the debate performance.
A spokesperson for Obama wouldn’t comment about the remarks that were made privately to the newspaper outlet. But, a spokesperson for the Biden campaign did say that Obama gave him his “unwavering” support.
That spokesperson, Lauren Hitt, said:
“President Biden is grateful for President Obama’s unwavering support since the very start of this campaign as both a powerful messenger to voters and a trusted adviser directly to the president.”
To this point, Obama hasn’t called for Biden to withdraw from the race. Instead, he’s suggested that he keep on pushing forward to try to take Trump down at the polls.
On his social media accounts following the debate, Obama wrote:
“Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself.
“Between someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the American people straight — and someone who lies through his teeth for his own benefit. Last night didn’t change that, and it’s why so much is at stake in November.”
Recent reports have suggested that Obama has acknowledged that Trump has political strengths as well as the chops to win back the White House. It could be why the former president has been so public about supporting Biden, as he tries to ensure that the Democratic Party remains in power.
In the last few months, Obama has attended two major Biden fundraisers, including one that took place in March at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Former President Bill Clinton was also in attendance at that fundraiser.
Then, in June, Obama attended another fundraiser in Los Angeles that actors Julia Roberts and George Clooney hosted. That event raised more than $30 million for Biden.
At the same time, two House Democrats have already come out and called on Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, saying he simply isn’t the best man for the job among Democrats.
Representative Raul Grijalva from Arizona said as much this week, following similar calls from Texas Representative Lloyd Doggett.