 However, neither the White House nor the president's campaign has given any indication that the re-election effort could be abandoned. This is a direct quote now as a result of the reporting by NBC News. This is not happening, period. This is according to a White House senior deputy press secretary, Andrew Bates. He said in a statement that he released today, the individuals making those claims are not speaking for his family or his team, and they will be proven wrong. Keep the faith.