President Joe Biden is in regular contact with a former president, but it's probably not who you're thinking.
Although he speaks to former President Barack Obama frequently, Biden is in much closer contact with former President Bill Clinton, according to a Washington Post report, which cites Biden's aides.
"Biden loves to make unannounced calls to current and former lawmakers, to seek advice or just check in," the report states. "Biden does speak regularly to Obama and former president Bill Clinton. Aides say Biden is more regularly in contact with Clinton — whose outgoing style he shares — even though he spent eight years as Obama's vice president."
Although the report didn't dive into Biden and Clinton's relationship, his past with Obama has been described as anything but a bromance.
"There's no doubt that they certainly have the closest relationship between any President and Vice President, or President and former President in modern history. Beneath the surface, this relationship has had very serious ups and downs over time, both personal and especially political," author Gabriel Debenedetti told Time Magazine in 2022. "Their conception of each other has changed dramatically. They’ve known each other for 20 years, and these are two men who come from very different worlds, have very different life experiences and very different experiences in Washington."
Another report by Axios says Biden often measures himself against Obama. The report, which also cites aides, goes on to say that Biden brags about outperforming his former boss and has been quoted as saying "Obama would be jealous" when speaking about his own accomplishments.
Biden even brought up his relationship with Obama during a transcribed interview with special counsel Robert Hur, who was investigating Biden's handling of classified documents. He said "a lot of people" were encouraging him to make a run for the White House in 2016 -- except for Obama.
"[It's] not a mean thing to say," Biden said. "He just thought that [Hillary Clinton] had a better shot of winning the presidency than I did."
At least one aide shared a similar sentiment with Axois, saying "The Obama people thought Biden would suck as president. They didn't think he'd be organized enough to execute."
Biden also told aides privately that he "could have beaten Donald Trump" in 2016, according to Axios.
While a spokesperson for Obama declined to comment on the report, a White House spokesperson indicated there's no love lost between the two men.
"President Biden does not make such comments in private. As President Biden has said, President Obama is family to him," spokesperson Andrew Bates told Axios.
Bates added that Biden "talks to both former President Obama and President Clinton often."