A new report outlines that Barack Obama is not going to attack Donald Trump while on the campaign trail in fear that it will upset his base.
Barack Obama will significantly raise his profile in the coming months as he campaigns for Democrats in the November midterm elections but he is unlikely to take on President Donald Trump more directly, allies of the former president said.
The two-term Democratic president is planning to re-emerge as a regular fixture at fundraisers and on the campaign trail after Labor Day, but will continue to strive for an above-the-fray style, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss emerging strategy.Â
Avoiding direct confrontation with his successor — not to mention the bombast on Twitter that would inevitably follow — will give Obama more room to maneuver in states like Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania that Trump won in 2016 but that are now home to competitive Senate races featuring Democratic incumbents.Â
“He doesn’t have to be aggressive,” said Ed Rendell, the former Pennsylvania governor and one-time Obama surrogate. “If he’s aggressive that would have the result of firing up Trump’s base.”
