Ex-Vice President Biden is reportedly upset that Obama held conversations with Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke, as Biden is considering a run himself, Vanity Fair reported.
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“This is unequivocally false. Period,” Biden spokesman Bill Russo said. He declined to comment on how Biden actually feels about Obama's discussion with other Democrats who could potentially face Biden in the primaries.
Sources familiar with the matter told the Washington Examiner that Obama still adores Biden, while a former adviser explained that the ex-president, who endorsed Hillary Clinton's doomed campaign in 2016, wants to take his time and talk to all serious candidates.
“If Obama is playing footsie with people now, it creates tension,” said an adviser who works for a potential 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, noting that he understood why Obama’s flirtations may sting Biden’s ego “And it gets you some media attention and maybe some staffing. But actual voters? Obama himself has always been popular with Democrats, but I’ve never seen his popularity be transferable to someone else.”
Another source told Vanity Fair that Biden is actually better off with Obama talking to other presidential aspirants now. “Many people lined up behind Sanders in 2016 because they didn’t want to be told to support Hillary. Biden doesn’t want to fall into that trap, to have Obama embrace him too exclusively, too early.”
Among Republicans, US President Donald Trump has the support of 72 percent in the latest GOP primary survey, according to McLaughlin & Associates statistics.