Obama has 'anxiety' over election, holding secret meetings with Biden to strategize on beating Trump: report
Obama believes the 2024 election will be a nail-biter but has avoided criticizing Biden and his team
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President Biden and ex-President Barack Obama have met privately on several occasions to discuss how the close confidants can save their legacy from former President Trump in 2024, according to a new report.
A Monday story from New York Magazine, titled "What Obama is Whispering to Biden," provides detailed information about the "secret" meals shared by the two presidents and how they can salvage the 2024 election amid concerning indicators.
One of Obama's friends told the outlet that while "his anxiety about the election is real," the former president's concerns fall in line with the opinions of other top Democrats.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Those who keep in regular contact with Obama say his concerns are not out of any underlying animosity towards Biden or his team but rather an acknowledgment of the country's fractured political and media landscape, according to New York Magazine.
OBAMA PLEADS WITH DIGITAL INFLUENCERS TO BACK BIDEN: 'YOU MAY NOT AGREE WITH EVERYTHING HE DOES'
Former President Obama confers with President Biden during a ceremony to unveil Obama's official White House portrait at the White House on Sept. 7, 2022. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Obama has allegedly been careful not to criticize his close friend or his campaign, aware that reporting on his feelings would do little to help the Democratic Party. Still, according to sources who spoke with New York Magazine, the former president believes the 2024 race is likely to be a nail-biter and the prospect of a Trump victory is real.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}While he initially distanced himself from Biden's 2020 campaign, Obama eventually became a key surrogate. He successfully convinced Biden campaign leaders Jen O'Malley Dillon and Anita Dunn to triple their digital budget. Obama also helped set up a working group of tech tycoons to help build out Biden's online operations.
He later nabbed director Steven Spielberg, who assisted in the production of Biden's convention programming, according to the report by Gabriel Debenedetti.
Throughout his presidency, Biden and his aides allegedly did not think it was paramount to rely on Obama like they did during the previous election cycle. However, by late 2023, Obama had again become a central figure in the campaign as the rematch between Trump and Biden became clear.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Former President Obama, President Biden and former President Clinton (Getty Images)
Obama began offering a variety of opinions on the campaign logistics and emphasized the importance of building out and retaining staff in crucial battleground states.
The former president has also engaged in more frequent talks with campaign chair Dillon about efforts to target young and Black voters.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I take great pride in what the Biden administration has accomplished," Obama said during a recent event with Biden and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. "And it's a reminder that we don't have to just vote against something in this election. We have somebody to worry about. And there's a whole agenda that we should be concerned about."
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Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this report.