Washington, Aug 3 (IANS): Former US President Barack Obama has in a private meeting with President Joe Biden warned him not to be complacent against his predecesssor Donald Trump, even as he has been indicted by federal prosecutors on four counts of conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election, and Trump dubbing them as "anti" and asking for the case to be shifted out of DC.
Trump is a "more formidable candidate" than many Democrats realize, Obama told Biden in a private meeting warning him not to lower his guard indicating he could be more powerful in his clout with voters than his nearest rival Florida Governor Ron DeSantis who seems to have lost the early advantage he had.
The warning had come earlier but media reports highlighted this soon after Trump's arraignment thus referencing the context of the Obama warning.
Obama has pledged to support Biden as early as June and has repeatedly asked him not to underestimate Trump who is likely to be arraigned by the middle of August by the state prosecutor in Atlanta , Georgia , while the Federal Jury has already indicted him.
Obama has voiced concern about Donald Trump's political strengths, ranging from blind loyalty to a Trump, friendly political eco-system in which his popularity thrives besides a completely polarized country, a leading media outlet reported.
Obama is to launch a fundraising campaign for Trump this fall, reports said.
Taking advantage of the Trump indictment by the Federal Jury, Florida governor Ron DeSantis has asked for greater law enforcement reforms after former President Trump's indictment.
DeSantis is now in a desperate fight back mode ever since he virtually lost the early bird campaign advantage and losing brownie points to Trump in debates on national issues.
Trump, who hit the campaign dirt a month ago to seek the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential race in the primaries, has been indicted for the second time within two months.
A federal grand jury and the special counsel is none other than DOJ's Jack Smith, but this time around the charges reference Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election leading to the January 6 attack on the US Capitol Hill.
Prosecutors held Trump accountable for an unprecedented effort to block the peaceful transfer of power and threaten American democracy, media reports here said.