Embattled President Joe Biden feels ‘angry and betrayed’ by his predecessor Barack Obama.
Mr Biden, 81, who remains under intense pressure to quit, has privately told friends and family he feels ‘a deep sense of betrayal’ that Mr Obama, whom he served as Vice-President for eight years, has failed to defend him.
Mr Obama has been noticeably silent since Mr Biden’s disastrous June 27 debate showing against Donald Trump, tweeting ‘bad debates happen’ on the day afterwards. He has said nothing since.
Multiple reports in the US claim Mr Obama has now ‘lost faith’ that Mr Biden can defeat Mr Trump in the election.
A source said: ‘Publicly 35 Senators and members of Congress have called for Biden to go but behind the scenes the figure is far bigger. The majority of Democrats want him to leave.
Joe Biden feels ‘angry and betrayed’ by his predecessor Barack Obama, after the former president failed to defend him
While several senators and members of the Congress have publicly called for Biden to go, the number behind the scenes is far greater, a source said
Biden is said to feel ‘hurt’ by the silence of Obama, who he served for eight years as Vice-President
‘Obama still holds a lot of sway in the party and said privately he no longer believes Biden has a pathway to win. Obama has lost faith.
‘Biden feels angry and betrayed by Obama, who he considered a good friend. There is a deep sense of betrayal and hurt.’
Last night Mr Biden remained secluded at his Delaware beach house, recovering from Covid. A report in the New York Times claimed Mr Biden views Mr Obama as a ‘puppet master’ working behind the scenes to oust him.
The report said: ‘Mr Obama has not done anything to help him… the unseen but clearly-felt presence of Mr Obama in particular has brought a Shakespearean quality to the drama now playing out.’
Aides confirmed Mr Biden is getting ready to return to campaigning, with fundraising events in California and Nevada this week.
‘He is determined to continue,’ one said. ‘He’s very stubborn.’
A source close to Hillary Clinton said she believed Mr Biden was ‘toast’.
The source added: ‘When you have people like Clinton and Obama privately expressing the view that he cannot lead the party to victory, then it’s all over. Expect him to go within days.’
Mr Biden is tentatively scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington tomorrow. ‘There is a feeling he will not drop out until after that meeting,’ the source said.