Barack Obama, who is 64 years old, isn’t very confident that “America would survive Donald Trump,” according to CNN. People close to Obama shared this with the news outlet on Friday, saying that Trump’s direct attacks aimed at taking away power from Democrats have made Obama worried about the future of his party.
Eric Holder, the former attorney general and a close friend of Obama, said that the damage caused by Trump is so serious that it needs a different approach and more direct involvement from Obama.
“There will be damage along the way—there’s no doubt about that. We won’t win every battle,” Holder said.
Obama and his team are changing how they approach public appearances.
“He doesn’t want to be the leader of the party—he was the leader of the free world. But sometimes he feels like he has to speak out,” said one insider.
Obama, who hasn’t agreed to an interview with CNN, feels like his party’s opinions are moving further away from where they were during his time as president.
He’s still unsure if he’s needed to keep the party relevant, according to the outlet.
Recently, Obama has been preparing to get back into campaigning, but not in a full-on way.
He is set to campaign for two moderate Democratic candidates on Saturday—New Jersey Rep. Mikie Sherrill and former Rep. Abigail Spanberger from Virginia—before the gubernatorial elections on November 4.
Top Democratic officials and helpers told the outlet that Obama has had a hard time getting back into the public spotlight to share his views.
But Trump’s demands to charge and shut down Democratic groups have made Obama worried, according to CNN.
“One thing no one expected was this bad, this ugly, with the rule of law being challenged every day,” said one insider.
However, Obama reportedly said in private that strong beliefs must be “tested.”
“If you have convictions and they’re not being tested, then it’s just fashion,” he reportedly said.
Obama is reaching out to leaders of important organizations to ask them not to give in to the current government, even if it means losing money, according to CNN.
Insiders said Obama was shocked and upset when many of the wealthy people in his circle gave in to Trump.
Despite that, Obama’s longtime friend remains hopeful about the future of America.
“If we are focused, if we’re willing to engage, if we are willing to do the work, the nation and our democracy can survive this,” Holder told CNN.
Barack Obama did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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