Former President Barack Obama is engaging in some real talk with allies—telling them that President Joe Biden did not do himself any favors with his lackluster debate performance last week, and has made his reelection campaign significantly more difficult, The Washington Post reported Tuesday, citing several people familiar with Obama’s comments. Those remarks were markedly more forceful than those he has made in public supporting Biden despite his stumbles against Donald Trump at the debate. Obama also spoke with Biden over the phone after the debate, according to the report, “to offer his support as a sounding board and private counselor” for Biden, with whom he worked for eight years in the White House. He apparently did not offer his opinion on the state of the race during that conversation, the Post reported. A Biden spokesperson said Obama has provided “unwavering support” and has been “both a powerful messenger to voters and a trusted adviser” to Biden. In a post on social media, Obama acknowledged that “bad debate nights happen,” and reiterated his backing of the incumbent against Donald Trump—“someone who lies through his teeth for his own benefit.” But all of Biden’s attempts to move on from the debate have had trouble gaining traction. On Tuesday, the first Democratic member of Congress called for him to step aside.
