Former president Barack Obama is reportedly working behind the scenes to throw Joe Biden under the bus as it’s becoming undeniably clear from both sides of the aisle he is “too old” to win, according to a report.
Reports surfaced earlier this month that Obama was holding a secret meeting in Washington, D.C., to rally Democratic congressional support to replace Biden atop the party’s 2024 ticket.
Obama recently hosted several meetings with younger House Democrats which took place over cheese and crackers in Obama’s Washington office,” Politico’s Jonathan Martin reported.
While it is unclear what was discussed, the low-profile meeting raises questions about why Obama would be getting involved at this point, especially as Joe Biden appears to be becoming a liablity.
The meeting featured younger Democratic congressional leaders and former administration staffers at Obama’s D.C. office, RadarOnline.com noted.
“Obama recognizes the gravity of the situation with Joe’s disappointing poll numbers,” said a Beltway insider.
“He had hoped that the president would have rallied and come into his own at this point, but that clearly hasn’t happened.
“With 2024 growing closer and closer, he had to act since he apparently fears Joe is getting too old and frail to win,” the insider noted further.
RadarOnline.com added:
“Officially, the stated purpose of the closed-door meetings was for Obama to give advice, get to know the younger Democratic lawmakers, and reacquaint himself with what they were hearing in their home districts, a source snitched to GLOBE, which first reported details of the meeting.
All three members of the Democratic House leadership — Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark, and Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar — as well as rising party stars like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Haley Stevens, were reportedly at the get-togethers.
Sources said the meets were unprecedented for Obama — who has mostly kept a low profile since leaving the White House.”
“Obama has been a reliable stump supporter for Democrats, but he’s been wary about stepping on Joe’s toes because of all the bad blood between them,” the Beltway insider noted further.
“The fact that he held these meetings suggests a definite change for him.”
Obama had betrayed Biden once before, backing Hillary Clinton in 2016 over his vice president.
Insiders say that the relationship between Obama and Biden deteriorated over time as Obama overshadowed the president during their joint appearances.
Biden also declined to attend Obama’s extravagant 60th birthday celebration in Martha’s Vineyard, citing COVID-19 concerns.
“The gatherings were Obama’s idea, I’m told.” — Politico’s Jonathan Martin.
“Obama’s scaled-down birthday bash was a black eye for the administration at a time when Joe was urging the public to take precautions,” said a source. “It made Democrats look hypocritical and elitist.”
In an op-ed, the New York Post wrote that Obama, when speaking to another Democrat about Biden becoming the party’s 2020 nominee, remarked, “Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f–k things up.”
Politico’s Martin noted:
“The gatherings were Obama’s idea, I’m told, and were designed for the now-61-year-old former president to keep current with his party’s rising stars, more than six years after he left office. The sessions…are striking for a number of reasons.”
He added:
The former president was careful to avoid criticizing Biden with the lawmakers, only encouraging Democrats to be aggressive marketing their accomplishments. They should establish their own identity, he said, while allowing that the party’s fate in 2024 would be largely tied to Biden’s success.
Multiple attendees of the conversations told me it was never fully clear to them why Obama wanted to gather. The meetings were described to me as a mix of get-to-know-you chatter mixed with long-winded advice, talk of best practices, and curiosity about what the lawmakers were hearing at home.
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