(CNN) Though recent vacation photos show Barack Obama basking in the warm sun of retirement, while jet-skiing away any political worries, his former staffer alludes to a second act.
"He'll (Obama) be back but if there was anyone who deserved a vacation, it was those two," says Alyssa Mastromonaco, referring to the now-former President and his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama. "He's living his best life."
Currently the chief operating officer of Vice Media, Mastromonaco served as Obama's White House deputy chief of staff for operations from 2011 through 2014. However, her ties to the nation's 44th President go back much further, as she first worked for Obama during his days as an Illinois state senator.
"I think Barack Obama is probably still the leader of the Democratic Party, even though he is ... on hiatus right now." she told Erin Burnett on Friday. "Hopefully ... going into 2018 ... will be a moment where the Democratic Party's identity crisis is over."
As for the current occupants of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Mastromonaco said she has her concerns. Asked by the "OutFront" host what exactly Ivanka Trump is doing in the West Wing, the 41-year-old held little back in expressing her disbelief.
"I wish I knew. Can you tell me what she's doing?" she asked, adding, "Working in public service isn't a hobby."