According to a new political tell-all, former President Barack Obama wasn’t thrilled when Nancy Pelosi publicly endorsed Kamala Harris just one day after Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race.
The revelation comes from ABC News journalist Jonathan Karl’s upcoming book, Retribution: Donald Trump and the Campaign That Changed America. Karl claims Obama felt blindsided by Pelosi’s move, especially since the two had privately agreed that the Democratic nomination should not automatically go to Harris without a fair, open process.
“The Obamas were not happy,” a source close to Pelosi told Karl. “Obama’s reaction was basically, ‘What did you just do?’”
Pelosi reportedly stood by her decision, allegedly responding, “That train has already left the station.”
Karl writes that Obama and Pelosi had maintained regular contact as Biden’s campaign faltered following a poor June 2024 debate performance against Donald Trump, several public gaffes including confusing world leaders and growing concerns about Biden’s health and stamina.
When Biden finally withdrew from the race on July 21, 2024, he endorsed Harris as his successor within hours. The next day, Pelosi followed suit, issuing a statement backing Harris for president a move that, according to Karl, “caught Obama off guard.”
Obama had wanted Democratic leaders to allow space for other potential candidates such as Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, and Josh Shapiro to consider entering the race. Instead, Harris quickly became the party’s presumptive nominee after prominent Democrats like Bill and Hillary Clinton and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also rallied behind her.
While some insiders described Obama’s exchange with Pelosi as “good-natured ribbing,” others said the former president seemed “genuinely irritated” by how fast Pelosi acted.
Karl also noted that Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, was surprised by her decision to back Harris, reportedly saying, “Kamala?” to which Nancy sharply replied, “Don’t start with me.”
Interestingly, Pelosi had previously voiced private doubts about Harris’s political strength when Biden first chose her as his running mate in 2020. Yet in this case, she told allies she “had no choice” no other Democrat had stepped forward, and the party needed unity fast.
Ultimately, the Obamas joined the wave of support, releasing a campaign video five days later formally endorsing Harris as the Democratic nominee.
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