Obama emerges as central figure in 2020 presidential race

Barack Obama has been back in the limelight after he criticized President Donald Trump for his COVID-19 response.

By

National News

May 14, 2020 - 9:41 AM

Former President Barack Obama attends a campaign event in Anaheim for Democratic congressional candidates on Sept. 8, 2018. Photo by Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times/TNS

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly eight years after he was last on the ballot, Barack Obama is emerging as a central figure in the 2020 presidential election.

Democrats are eagerly embracing Obama as a political wingman for Joe Biden, who spent two terms by his side as vice president. Obama remains the party’s most popular figure, particularly with black voters and younger Democrats, and Biden’s presidential campaign is planning for him to have a highly visible role in the months to come.

For President Donald Trump, that means an opportunity to focus the spotlight on one of his favorite political foils. In recent days, Trump and his allies have aggressively pushed conspiracy theories about Obama designed to fire up the president’s conservative base, taint Biden by association and distract from the glut of grim health and economic news from the coronavirus pandemic.

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