Former U.S. Presidents United... "Obama Calls Biden with Advice"

With the rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump confirmed for the upcoming U.S. presidential election in November, former President Barack Obama has begun to assert his political presence, the New York Times (NYT) reported on the 26th (local time).

According to the report, calls between President Biden and former President Obama have become noticeably frequent recently. In particular, former President Obama has been directly calling key aides in Biden’s camp, such as White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, offering advice on election strategies without hesitation.

[Photo by Yonhap News]

The NYT pointed out that former President Obama’s actions serve as a declaration of support for President Biden while also indicating concerns that Biden might lose to former President Trump. An aide who requested anonymity said, "Former President Obama is always worried about President Biden’s defeat," adding, "Since a close race is expected in many states, he often says he is ready to fight fiercely alongside Biden in this election."

The NYT emphasized that despite starting as running mates and working closely together for eight years, this is the first time former President Obama and President Biden have been so united. It explained that tensions began when former President Obama blocked Biden from running in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary. Subsequently, Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State, ran as the Democratic nominee as Obama wished, but ultimately lost to former President Trump.

The media also noted that tensions between the two surfaced during the investigation into the leak of classified documents related to President Biden. It was reported that Biden confessed to Special Counsel Robert Hur, who was in charge of the investigation, that "the reason he was chosen as vice president in the past was because former President Obama underestimated his capabilities."

Of course, the NYT assessed that their cooperation was not always problematic. Although former President Obama graduated from an Ivy League school and followed an elite path, his political experience was limited, and President Biden complemented this weakness with his characteristic savvy and extensive diplomatic and defense experience. Later, during his vice presidency, Biden demonstrated political skill in pushing through key Obama administration initiatives such as the Affordable Care Act ("ObamaCare").

Both sides’ insiders emphasized that the lingering resentment between the two, which seemed unlikely to be resolved easily, melted away in the face of the common adversary, former President Trump. Especially, Democratic figures close to former President Obama reportedly felt much of their concerns about Biden’s age were alleviated after witnessing Biden’s passionate policy speech, the NYT added.

Meanwhile, former President Obama and President Biden are scheduled to participate in a Biden campaign fundraising event in New York on the 28th, where they will appeal for support alongside former President Bill Clinton.