MIAMI — President Obama had a surprise guest Thursday on Air Force One: former Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Wasserman Schultz resigned as DNC chief ahead of the party’s national convention in July after months of accusations she unfairly tipped the scales for Hillary Clinton during the race for the presidential nomination. Emails leaked on the eve of the convention exacerbated those claims.
Since then, Wasserman Schultz has kept a relatively low profile on the national political stage, making her presence on Air Force One surprising.
Obama is in Miami, close to the Florida congresswoman’s home district, to plug his healthcare law and campaign for Clinton. The president sometimes invites lawmakers to fly with him when he is traveling to their home states.
Obama handpicked Wasserman Schultz in 2011 to lead the party committee, but the two reportedly sparred during her five-year tenure.
But the president publicly backed Wasserman Schultz through her final day as party chairwoman.