Former President Barack Obama pledged during a recent lunch with President Biden at the White House that he would do all he can to support Biden’s reelection and reportedly stressed that Donald Trump remains a formidable political foe.
The Washington Post reported Wednesday that Obama voiced concerns about Trump’s political strengths, such as his intensely loyal base of supporters, political polarization and the conservative media world backing him.
A White House spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Eric Schultz, a senior adviser to Obama, declined to comment on details of the lunch but said in a statement to The Hill that Obama “looks forward to supporting Democrats up and down the ballot next fall, and no race has bigger stakes than President Biden’s re-election.”
“Our strategy will be based on driving impact,” Schultz said. “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. We are deliberate in picking our moments because our objective is to move the needle.”
Obama visited the White House in late June for lunch with Biden. The White House publicized the meeting at the time, though officials did not provide details on what the two men discussed.
The two have spoken and met in person periodically since Biden, who served as Obama’s vice president for eight years, took office in January 2021.
While at the White House in June, Obama recorded a video alongside Biden urging supporters to donate to Biden’s reelection campaign.
Obama remains overwhelmingly popular in the Democratic Party and is a valuable asset on the campaign trail. During the 2022 midterms, Obama held large rallies for Democratic Senate candidates in pivotal swing states like Nevada, Pennsylvania and Georgia.