Obama meets with possible 2020 presidential contenders: report

Former President Obama has been privately meeting with possible 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, Politico reported Monday.

Obama has reportedly held one-on-one sessions with at least nine candidates in his Washington, D.C., office over the past few months, including former Vice President Joe Biden, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D).

Obama’s office declined to comment to Politico.

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“The president was generous with his time and advice, and he was excited to talk about the future,” one individual with knowledge of the meetings told Politico.

Sanders reportedly requested his meeting with Obama, which was held in March. The two men discussed the future of the Democratic Party. Politico reports the pair did not specifically discuss if Sanders would run in 2020.

And Politico reported that Obama has remained in close contact with Biden in the months since the pair left office, with the two meeting in-person in January.

Biden is expected to make an announcement about a possible presidential bid after the midterm elections in November.

Obama has remained relatively quiet in the months since he left office. He hit the campaign trail for some Democratic candidates last year and will headline his first Democratic National Committee fundraiser of the year later this month.

Despite Obama stepping back since leaving office, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) said he expects the former president to be visible during the midterms.