(CNN) Barack Obama has met with several Democrats considering running for president in 2020, a Democrat close to the former president tells CNN, offering them advice on running in the Trump era and discussing how to position the party going forward.

The meetings come as the former president charts his future political life and evaluates how he can best help a Democratic Party that is working to figure out how to run with President Donald Trump in the White House. Some Democrats accused Obama of neglecting the Democratic Party apparatus while in the White House, but people close to the former president argue he is fully invested in the future of the party and the bench of talent looking to run on 2020.

To date, according to the Democrat, Obama has met with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders; Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren; former Vice President Joe Biden; former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick; New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker; former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu; Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti; South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Peter Buttigieg; former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander; and former Attorney General Eric Holder.

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Democrats are anticipating a large 2020 field, and there are still several notable potential candidates -- California Sen. Kamala Harris, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe among them -- who have not yet discussed campaign plans with Obama.

The Democrat did not describe these meetings as sessions where Obama gave each candidate specific advice about running for president -- "This is not about where you put your Sioux City, Iowa office," the source joked. Instead, the source said, Obama spends "much more time on how to respond to the President, positioning and broader challenges with the party."

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