Former President Barack Obama is working to reposition himself from Democrat power player to party coach, stepping in Wednesday night to rally nearly three dozen freshman House Democrats at a private gathering in Washington, Politico reported.
The closed-door session — held at the home of Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and hosted by retiring Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. — featured Obama advising newcomers how to navigate life in the minority.
Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., moderated the discussion, the report said.
Obama, who has been increasingly visible as Democrats search for direction after major 2024 losses, urged the group to resist what he called Washington's "pervasive" cynicism.
"I get feeling discouraged sometimes," Obama said, according to Politico.
He told lawmakers that in his second term, White House chief of staff Denis McDonough circulated stickers reading "fight cynicism" — a slogan Obama now frames as essential for Democrats' future.
"That, I think, is our most important battle," he said.
Obama lightened the tone at moments, joking that many of the freshman lawmakers were "in elementary school" when he delivered his 2004 Democratic National Convention speech.
But he repeatedly referenced Democrats' earlier periods of struggle — particularly 2004, when the party lost the White House, both chambers of Congress, and saw Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., defeated.
At the time, Obama said, Republican strategist Karl Rove boasted of a "permanent Republican majority."
The former president compared that moment to Democrats' mood after the 2024 election, which saw President Donald Trump sweep all seven battleground states and defeat Vice President Kamala Harris decisively.
Yet Obama told the freshman lawmakers that Democrats eventually rebounded after their 2004 defeats.
"Two years later, Nancy Pelosi was the first woman speaker," he noted. "And four years later, somehow, I ended up being president."
Obama's message: Freshman Democrats' work today could lay the groundwork for a future comeback — but only if they stay focused and engaged.
In a short Q&A, Obama addressed lessons from the Affordable Care Act fight, telling Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., that he "overestimated Republicans' willingness" to work with him, adding, "We wasted a lot of time trying to engage [their] ideas on a good-faith basis."
According to Politico, Obama also spent time speaking with McBride, the first openly transgender member of Congress, praising his media appearances and messaging.
Obama has stayed active behind the scenes for the past year, privately consulting candidates, holding small-group strategy sessions, and stumping in state-level races in Virginia and New Jersey.
This meeting marks only the second time he has gathered with freshman House Democrats since leaving office. The first was in 2019, according to the report.
Obama recently described his political evolution on Marc Maron's podcast as a shift "from player to coach."
A person close to Obama told Politico that the former president's aim is to build a Democratic Party that can "survive without him."
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