President Biden had lunch Tuesday with former President Barack Obama at the White House.
Mr. Biden, who served as Mr. Obama’s vice president from 2009 to 2017, hosted his former boss as he ramps up his travel schedule and touts legislative wins ahead of a reelection battle in 2024.
Despite that backdrop, principal deputy White House press secretary Olivia Dalton characterized the lunch as a regular social meeting with no specific agenda.
“They always look forward to seeing each other and having a chance to sit down in person,” she said. “They meet regularly. This is part of that regular cadence of meetings, and I’m sure it will continue.”
Mr. Obama has largely stayed out of the headlines since ceding way to President Donald Trump in January 2017, but he inked a production deal with Netflix and sometimes lends a hand to Democratic candidates on the stump.
He recently sat down with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour and weighed in on everything from the state of democracy to the wall-to-wall coverage of the Titanic explorer tragedy versus the dearth of coverage of a migrant ship lost at sea.
He said democracy is “creaky” in the U.S. and across the world but he remains optimistic because “there is still a fundamental belief in the dignity and worth of individuals and their agency in determining what their lives are like. I think that’s what young people want.”
Mr. Obama visited Mr. Biden at a political crossroads for his former No. 2.
The sitting president, who is 80, is preparing to convince voters he deserves a second term to build on his infrastructure package, tax-and-climate initiatives and an economic plan he’s dubbed Bidenomics.
He also faces questions about this advanced age and sagging approval numbers amid high inflation.
Mr. Obama said he’s confident Mr. Biden will have a good showing in 2024 once he hits the road.
“You’ll recall when I ran for reelection in 2012, my poll numbers weren’t that great, and we ended up winning comfortably,” Mr. Obama told Ms. Amanpour. “Part of that was just we started campaigning, and we were able to get a message out. … I think he’s done a good job. And I think that’s what [voters are] going to conclude about Joe Biden as well.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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