Former President Barack Obama has made some of his harshest feelings known about his former vice president, telling allies in recent days that President Joe Biden is failing to contain the fallout from his disastrous debate performance and imperiling Democrats’ chances of preventing former President Donald Trump from returning to the White House.

The Washington Post reported on private conversations where the 44th president has allegedly admitted that Biden has made his path to victory even narrower following last week’s calamitous matchup with Trump where the president appeared slack-jawed, slow to respond, and missing easy openings to challenge President Trump on his record and statements. Several people familiar with Obama’s remarks told the Post that his confidence in Biden is dimming even as he called Biden to share his thoughts and offer himself as a sounding board for the president’s strategic thinking. It was unclear if Obama directly addressed Biden’s debate performance.

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“President Biden is grateful for President Obama’s unwavering support since the very start of this campaign as both a powerful messenger to voters and a trusted adviser directly to the president,” Lauren Hitt, a spokeswoman for the Biden campaign, said in a statement to the Post.

Since the June 27th debate, Biden and his allies have scurried to reassure major donors and party leaders about the president’s mental acuity and chances of victory in November. President Obama, whose office did not comment about the most recent claims, was sharing his concerns about the state of the race even before the debate, sources added. However, that hasn’t stopped him from stumping for Biden on social media or the campaign trail where he spoke at a high-dollar New York fundraiser on Friday.

“Bad debate nights happen,” Obama wrote on social media after the debate. “Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself. Between someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the American people straight — and someone who lies through his teeth for his own benefit. Last night didn’t change that, and it’s why so much is at stake in November.”

During a private lunch at the White House last December, President Obama was already voicing his concern about the Democratic Party’s chances of defeating a newly empowered Trump as he seemingly gained strength from the attention drawn to his various criminal prosecution. The former president suggested that Biden appoint more senior decision-makers within his campaign apparatus, allowing for faster response times. One month later, senior advisors Jennifer O’Malley Dillon and Mike Donilon departed the White House for his campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware.

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Last month, Obama appeared at a glitzy Hollywood fundraiser that drew in $28 million for Biden’s reelection campaign. Brief videos that escaped from the gala showed Biden looking askew on stage as he was led away by his former boss, who placed an arm in the middle of his back to guide him to the exit.

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