Washington
CNN
—
Barack Obama spent several hours in the White House family dining room last Friday visiting with former Vice President Joe Biden. The atmosphere was light, with the two men joking around, and the meeting served as a small reunion for the two presidents' respective staffs, many of whom have known each other since Obama's time as president.
But the occasion was more than just a gathering of two old friends.
President Obama has told officials in recent months that he believes the rematch between Biden and Donald Trump in November will be incredibly close and that the 2024 election will be “all hands on deck.” According to people familiar with his thinking, Mr. he told CNN. So when he returned to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue last week, it was primarily a business visit.
Mr. Biden and Mr. Obama, along with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, participated in the 14th organizing conference call at the White House Residence.th Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. “We have a chance to do more, but only if we send Joe and Kamala back to the White House in November,” President Obama said in the video. “So we have to keep working.”
Off-camera, President Obama told Biden that he believed the president's State of the Union address earlier this month was effective and that a breakthrough was on the way, according to a person familiar with their conversations. President Obama also emphasized to Biden how much he believes health care will be a politically powerful and important issue in the next election.
The campaign also includes other content featuring both presidents and is expected to roll out in the coming weeks, officials said.
Officials said Mr. Obama and Mr. Biden have been meeting regularly, and the former president remains in touch with some White House officials, including Mr. Biden's chief of staff Jeff Zients, who worked in the Obama administration. They say they are in direct contact.
The former president has been making efforts since the current president announced his re-election last year, particularly through public fundraising appeals and quiet conversations in hopes of allaying concerns among some Democrats about Biden seeking a second term. , has occasionally lent a hand to Biden. As the general election gets into full swing, his involvement with the Biden campaign is expected to intensify, with aides saying he will be making several rounds before November to help rebuild the Biden victory coalition from 2020. He said he has already agreed to appear in the campaign.
President Obama's biggest endorsement of Biden's re-election effort comes Thursday at a star-studded Manhattan fundraiser featuring Biden, Obama and former President Bill Clinton. The three presidents will have a rare conversation moderated by Stephen Colbert.
It's not a regular President's Club meeting, and when Mr. Clinton and Mr. Obama take the stage at Radio City Music Hall, their appearance marks the beginning of a bitter battle for the sitting president to retain his predecessor's position. It will highlight a special moment in American history of confinement. After returning to the White House.
“No one speaks to disillusioned Democrats better than President Obama,” said a senior strategist who has worked closely with Obama and Biden, speaking candidly about the campaign on condition of anonymity. “But there are limits to what President Obama can do. The burden of winning this race remains on President Biden.”
The sold-out, big-ticket event on Thursday night will feature a number of celebrities and artists, including Queen Latifah, Lizzo, Cynthia Erivo, Mindy Kaling, Ben Platt and Lea Michele, according to the campaign. That's what it means. The night will be overseen by renowned producers Jordan Ross and Alex Timbers, and ticket prices will range from $225 to $500,000.
The campaign took advantage of the rare opportunity for Biden and his two predecessors to come together and invited some high-paying guests to have photos taken with all three presidents by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz. We provide you with the opportunity to receive
Mr. Biden has also been in frequent contact with Ms. Clinton as president, according to sources familiar with the matter. Steve Ricchetti, a top Biden adviser who also worked in the Clinton White House, is also in regular contact with his former boss. Advice and consultation related to the 2024 election was also part of those conversations, the people said.
Mr. Obama's appeal and popularity as one of the most famous national Democrats is undeniable. The campaign said grassroots fundraisers featuring the former president have raised more than $15 million so far this term, and the “Meet the President” contest featuring Biden and Obama has raised about $3 million alone. That's what it means.
Over the next seven months, President Obama's particular focus will be on fundraising appeals and helping motivate young Americans, especially Black and Latino voters, who campaign advisers see as a weak link in Biden's candidacy. It turns out.
Following the pattern he has followed since leaving office, President Obama does not intend to actively campaign until the fall, when early voting begins. Obama and his advisers believe he would be most effective by saving the former president until the end of the campaign, at a time when voters are most paying attention.
Aides say no concrete travel plans have been made yet, but the former president is likely to visit college campuses and major cities in battleground states in the fall.
President Obama has not been shy about expressing concern about Israel's war in Gaza, which has become one of Biden's biggest challenges in both foreign policy and domestic politics. That, along with reproductive rights, will be a major focus of President Obama's pitch to voters.
Jim Messina, Obama's 2012 campaign manager who has served as a close adviser to Biden's re-election campaign, told CNN that his former boss will do whatever he can to ensure Biden a second term in the White House. That's what he said. Messina said Trump's emergence as the Republican nominee has only greatly increased the urgency of his mission.
“President Obama once told me that every president is a reflection of the previous president, and he's right,” Messina said. “Trump is the exact opposite of Obama, and Biden is the exact opposite of Trump. Being president of the United States means being part of a small club. Raising red flags about the immediate threat of Donald Trump. No other group of people has It should be taken more seriously. ”
one senior Biden adviser told CNN.
“He has been generous with his time and has made it clear that he is fully committed to this campaign,” the adviser said.
This article has been updated with additional reporting.
