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President Barack Obama takes the stage to speak on Wednesday, November 2, 2011, in Washington, D.C., about the urgent need to repair the infrastructure of America which is part of his $447 billion job package.
- Neither former President Barack Obama nor former First Lady Michelle Obama are expected to endorse a candidate during the 2020 Democratic primary, according to The New York Times.
- Privately, however, Obama is meeting with declared or potential candidates, offering candid advice - and according to a Politico report, he has been since 2018.
- Potential candidate Beto O'Rourke, the former congressman representing El Paso and former Senate candidate, gave a window into his meeting with Obama in a recent interview with Oprah.
- "You asked if he encouraged me to - he did not," Mr. O'Rourke said in response to Oprah's question if Obama had encourage him to run for president. "But he was very generous in sharing what his thought process was, leading up to that decision."
Neither former President Barack Obama nor former First Lady Michelle Obama are expected to endorse a candidate during the 2020 Democratic primary, The New York Times reported.
Privately, however, Obama is meeting with declared or potential candidates, and according to a Politico report he has been since 2018.
The Times reported that "more than a dozen" hopefuls - including Sens. Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren, along with the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg, and the former mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg - have met with Obama.
Potential candidate Beto O'Rourke, former congressman representing El Paso and former Senate candidate, gave a window into his meeting with Obama in a recent interview with Oprah.
"You asked if he encouraged me to - he did not," Mr. O'Rourke said in response to Oprah's question if Obama had encourage him to run. "But he was very generous in sharing what his thought process was, leading up to that decision."
Those close to Obama who spoke to The Times, and his former chief strategist David Axelrod, who was not speaking on behalf of the former president, have said that he won't make an endorsement. Even former Vice President Joe Biden, who may make a 2020 run, doesn't expect to get the Obama nod.
He's not short on advice, though.
"President Obama counsels candidates to always show up and make their case even in areas or in front of audiences they may not necessarily win; express views and positions that reflect their genuine beliefs; and share a positive vision for the country true to their own personal story," senior advisor Eric Schultz told The Times.
Since leaving office, Obama has been calculated in his public remarks (wary of becoming a foil for President Donald Trump). His forays into Washington