Obama: I’m confident, but ‘not overconfident,’ in Clinton’s chances

by Jordan Fabian - 10/07/16 2:53 PM ET

President Obama said Friday he’s “confident” but “not overconfident” in Hillary Clinton’s chances of winning the White House in November.

“I’m confident that we will have an incredibly capable successor in the White House, by the name of Hillary Rodham Clinton,” Obama told a group of donors at a fundraiser for House Democrats in Chicago.

{mosads}Obama’s comments come as Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, expands her lead over Republican nominee Donald Trump in the days following their first debate, which was considered a victory for the former secretary of State.

But Obama warned donors not to get complacent.

“When I say I’m confident, I’m not overconfident,” he said. “We’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

Clinton leads Trump by more than 4 percentage points nationally, according to RealClearPolitics’s polling average. She also leads her opponent in several battleground state polls.

Keeping the White House in Democratic hands is Obama’s top remaining goal as president; he is eager to preserve his presidential legacy.

The president has ramped up his effort to campaign for Clinton and congressional Democrats in the final weeks of the campaign.

“The ability of Hillary to build on the legacy we’ve established these last eight years will depend, ultimately, on what happens in the House,” Obama told the donors.

Obama acknowledged it will be an “uphill battle” for Democrats to win back the lower chamber but said, “We have incredible candidates, and if we are willing and able to really bare down this last month … I think we’ve got a real shot.”

The president spoke at the home of major Democratic donor Fred Eychaner. Tickets for the event started at $10,000 per person.

Obama is scheduled to speak at a fundraiser for Clinton and the Democratic National Committee later Friday.

Tags Donald Trump Hillary Clinton