Former President Barack Obama reportedly expressed serious doubts about President Joe Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign during a private White House luncheon in 2023. According to a new book about the election, Obama was “somewhat incredulous” that Biden was running again and later told Biden’s senior staff bluntly, “Your campaign is a mess.” This candid critique came as Obama met with staff members who had previously worked for him.

One of Obama’s main concerns was the campaign’s divided leadership, with operations split between Washington, D.C., and Wilmington, Delaware. Biden’s team headquartered the campaign in Wilmington to emphasize his working-class roots, but this structure proved ineffective. Jen O’Malley Dillon was sent to Wilmington to manage the campaign issues while Mike Donilon stayed in D.C. as chief strategist, but these efforts failed to stabilize the campaign.

After a poor debate showing against Donald Trump, Biden dropped out and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who campaigned for just over three months before losing to Trump. Some of Biden’s staff were angered by Obama’s harsh assessment, calling him disrespectful and arrogant. Yet Obama’s public remarks sometimes seemed to mock the situation, deepening tensions.

Since leaving office, Obama has stayed active politically, endorsing candidates and criticizing the current administration. He recently took a subtle jab at Trump in a Fourth of July message emphasizing democratic unity and collective responsibility.

Obama also condemned Trump’s decision to dismantle USAID, calling it a “colossal mistake” and praising the agency’s crucial global work, alongside former President George W. Bush and Bono.