President Obama doesn’t think Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has what it takes to go head-to-head with President Trump in the 2020 race, and he may soon voice his concerns publicly.
Fox Business reports that Obama friends and associates said that the former president is “genuinely” concerned by the leftist policies set forth by candidates like Sanders and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.
“The average American doesn’t think we have to completely tear down the system to remake it,” Obama reportedly said to a group of donors.
People close to Obama point out that he has always said that he will support the Democratic nominee, whoever that may be. They also point out that Obama’s opinion of Warren has softened since November, and he is said to be growing comfortable with endorsing her fully if she should win the nomination.
But, these people add, he has recently grown even more wary of Sanders as the Vermont senator appears to be gaining momentum in polls and the Democratic primaries begin to heat up with the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary both in February.
According to the report, President Obama has said privately that Sanders is politically and temperamentally unfit to defeat Trump due to his confrontational nature, lack of willingness to compromise and far-left policies including free college tuition and student loan forgiveness.
Fox Business notes it is unclear if Obama will call out Sanders specifically, or discuss his opposition to the candidate in a more general approach. It is also possible that he will not need to speak out if Warren or former Vice President Joe Biden come out ahead in early primaries.
Earlier this week, failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton voiced her opposition to Sanders, telling The Hollywood Reporter that “nobody likes him.”
He was in Congress for years…Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done,” she said. “He was a career politician. It’s all baloney and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it.”
For the full report, click HERE.
