Obama privately expresses concern to allies over Biden's poor debate performance: report

Former President Barack Obama has publicly backed his ex-vice president even after a "bad debate" night, but behind closed doors, Obama has reportedly expressed concerns that Joe Biden may have hurt his chances of winning re-election.

Obama told allies behind closed doors who reached out to him that Biden’s path to re-election became a tougher challenge following the debate against former President Donald Trump, The Washington Post reported Tuesday night. The two reportedly talked over the phone following the disastrous night that left many openly questioning Biden's cognitive health and some calling for him to drop out of the race.

Biden on Tuesday admitted he put on a sleepy performance at the first debate of the year but the 81-year-old Democrat brushed it off, telling donors at a private fundraiser a tough travel schedule was to blame.

"I decided to travel around the world a couple of times ... shortly before the debate ... I didn't listen to my staff ... and then I almost fell asleep on stage," he said, according to Axios.

For his part, Obama on Friday said bad debate nights happen, acknowledging he, too, once flubbed a debate. "Trust me, I know," he said.

Read also: ProPublica releases unedited interview with Joe Biden in wake of debate

Obama continued, saying, "But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself."

"Between someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the American people straight — and someone who lies through his teeth for his own benefit," the former president said on Friday. "Last night didn’t change that, and it’s why so much is at stake in November."

The Washington Post's reporting, which cited several anonymous sources familiar with his comments, offers a stark contrast in the two sentiments from Obama, who offered to give Biden advice or lend an ear.

Lauren Hitt, a spokeswoman for the Biden campaign, told the Post in a statement that Biden is "grateful for President Obama’s unwavering support since the very start of this campaign." She said Obama has been a "powerful messenger to voters and a trusted adviser directly to the president."

A spokesperson for Obama declined to comment to the Post.

Obama's reported concerns come as Democratic governors seek answers from the White House about Biden's showing.

The governors took part Monday in a call organized by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to discuss their concerns about the 81-year-old president, according to multiple sources who spoke to CNN.

The call was attended by governors only, with no staffers, White House aides or campaign officials present, and sources said they expressed surprise that none of them had heard from the president following the debate.