Former President Barack Obama reportedly expressed blunt criticism of Joe Biden’s 2023 reelection campaign, describing it as a “mess,” according to a forthcoming book on the 2024 election.
Obama was reportedly “slightly incredulous” about Biden’s decision to seek a second term, a sentiment he conveyed during a private lunch at the White House less than a year before the election, the Guardian reported Thursday, citing an advance copy of the book.
“After the lunch,” the authors wrote, “Obama did not leave the White House right away. He stopped to visit with Biden’s senior staff, many of whom used to work for him, and shared his account of what he and Biden had discussed. Obama was more blunt with the staff. ‘Your campaign is a mess,’ he told them.”
Obama reportedly warned that splitting the Biden campaign’s leadership between Washington, D.C., and Wilmington, Delaware, could undermine his reelection bid—a concern Biden later acknowledged to an aide.
The campaign was headquartered in Biden’s hometown of Wilmington, a move intended to highlight his working-class roots and connect with everyday voters. But internal disorganization soon became apparent. In response to Obama’s concerns, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jen O’Malley Dillon was dispatched to Wilmington to take over as campaign manager, while longtime adviser Mike Donilon remained in Washington as Biden’s chief strategist.
Despite the shake-up, the campaign continued to struggle. Biden ultimately withdrew from the race after a disastrous debate performance against then-candidate Donald Trump raised alarm across the Democratic Party. He endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor, but her 107-day campaign ended in defeat as Trump returned to the White House.
Obama’s warning wasn’t received well by Biden’s staff, some of whom thought the 44th president was a “prick,” the book claims. They felt he “disrespected and mistreated Biden,” who served as Obama’s “loyal” vice president for eight years.
“They felt vindicated when for the first time during Biden’s presidency, Obama publicly returned to the White House and began by saying ‘Thank you, Vice President Biden,’” the book states. “Obama was quick to claim he was joking, but to Biden’s stalwarts it was merely the latest example of Obama’s arrogance.”
The upcoming book “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America,” written by award-winning journalists Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager, and Isaac Arnsdorf—is set to be released on Tuesday.
Since leaving office in 2017, Barack Obama has remained politically engaged while residing in Washington, D.C. He regularly endorses Democratic candidates, including liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court contender Susan Crawford, and has become a frequent critic of the current administration. On Friday, Obama appeared to take a veiled swipe at Donald Trump, suggesting the Republican-led government is eroding democratic principles this Fourth of July.
