An upcoming book by ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl allegedly claims that Barack Obama was angry after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi quickly endorsed Kamala Harris, following former President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race.
According to excerpts obtained by The Daily Mail from the book titled “Retribution”, Obama and Pelosi had previously agreed that Harris should not automatically be given the Democratic nomination without a competitive convention.
However, Pelosi announced her support for Harris less than a day after Biden stepped down from the campaign, reportedly catching Obama off guard.
“The Obamas were not happy,” a source close to Pelosi told Karl. The source described Obama’s reaction to Pelosi’s move as essentially saying, “What the f*ck did you just do?”
The book goes on to describe Obama’s reaction, detailing an almost desperate or exasperated phone call to Pelosi in which he questioned why she had gone back on their agreement on the endorsement.
Pelosi allegedly responded to Obama, saying, “that train has left the station,” referring to Biden’s public endorsement of Harris during his withdrawal speech.
Obama, who had expressed concerns about Harris’ ability to win against then–Republican nominee and now-President Donald Trump, waited five days before offering his own endorsement. His eventual statement, delivered jointly with former First Lady Michelle Obama, praised Harris and called the 2024 race “historic.”
Karl’s book adds to a growing collection of reports that describe friction within the Democratic Party during the chaotic months after Biden’s exit.
The reporting from Karl suggests that Obama favored an open convention in which multiple Democratic leaders could have competed for the nomination.
Fast-forward to today, and the fallout from that rushed endorsement and campaign push is clear. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Harris’s favorability has plunged to a net -13, with just 9% of Democrats wanting her to run again.
“She is not well-liked at this particular point. The American people – they don’t want this, they don’t want her, and get this, she’s 37 points underwater with independents,” CNN senior data analyst Harry Enten said back in September.
“And the bottom line is… she is way, way, way underwater. She is definitely swimming with the fishes,” Enten added.
Harris is now on her book tour touting her personal account of “the shortest presidential campaign in modern history,” marketing her “107 Days” campaign memoir, with the last stop currently scheduled for Miami on November 20.