Obama reportedly told Biden's campaign staff not to let him 'embarrass himself'

Barack Obama.
(Image credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Former President Barack Obama isn't yet sporting a Biden 2020 hat, but that doesn't mean he isn't paying attention to his former vice president's campaign.

Although Obama has gone to great lengths to not endorse an individual in the 2020 Democratic primaries, he has reportedly been more involved in Biden's camp than he's let on. Obama has gone so far as to request briefings with Biden's team to discuss strategy, including one meeting before Biden announced his candidacy in April, reports The New York Times. In some of his meetings with Biden and Co., Obama has tried to emphasize the importance of Biden expanding his inner circle with younger voices, reportedly telling Biden his advisers are too old and out of touch.

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Marianne Dodson

Marianne is The Week’s Social Media Editor. She is a native Tennessean and recent graduate of Ohio University, where she studied journalism and political science. Marianne has previously written for The Daily Beast, The Crime Report, and The Moroccan Times.