Chris Whipple, the author and filmmaker who wrote a biography of President Biden, suggested Friday that former President Barack Obama might not even be able to convince Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race.
Whipple, interview Speaking to NewsNation’s Elizabeth Vargas on Friday, he said it’s “nonsense” to think Obama is the only person who can convince him to step down.
“We just spoke about reports that President Obama is worried that Biden won’t win,” Vargas said. “The relationship between these two is really complicated. A lot of people are saying, ‘Only former President Obama can tell Biden to step aside,’ and that’s just not true.”
Whipple agreed that Obama and Biden have a “complicated relationship,” but said “they’re really close.”
“They bonded when Beau Biden was dying of brain cancer, and Obama really took Joe Biden under his wing,” said the author of “The Greatest Fight of My Life: Inside Joe Biden’s White House.”
But Whipple added that Biden is “unhappy.”
“He always felt that he was a Syracuse law guy and Obama’s entourage was all Harvard and Yale and they looked down on him. And of course, [former Secretary of State] “It’s a similar situation to Hillary Clinton in 2016,” the author continued. “So it’s definitely a strained relationship.”
His analysis comes as Biden continues to come under pressure from both sides after a poor performance in last month’s debate, during which he stumbled and spoke huskily, raised concerns about his mental health and ability to serve another four years in office if re-elected in November. And despite growing calls from members of his own party to “pass the baton,” the president has remained true to his old course.
Questions about Obama’s influence were also raised by MSNBC host Joe Scarborough on Thursday, who suggested the president’s campaign believes Obama is behind growing calls to drop Biden from the presidential race.
“One thing I need to highlight here so our viewers understand what’s going on behind the scenes is that the Biden campaign and many senior Democrats believe that Barack Obama is quietly orchestrating this behind the scenes,” Scarborough said on “Morning Joe.”
Biden said at a press conference Thursday night that he believes he is the “best qualified person” to take on former President Trump in the fall.
“I believe I’m the best person to govern,” Biden said, “and the best person to win. But there are other people who can beat Trump.”
“The fact is, the thing to consider is that I believe I am the best person to run for president. I beat him once and I will beat him again,” he added.
NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill.
