‘Not Happy’ Barack Obama’s True Feelings Toward Kamala Harris Finally Revealed: What the F— Did You Do?!’
One of the narratives that has permeated the post-Presidential election cycle has been about Kamala Harris’s campaign and the support she had, or didn’t have, from the Democratic establishment. This is particularly true of Barack and Michelle Obama, who are two political figures who always seem to be in the eye of the spotlight. Did they support her? Did they want her to be president?
According to a new report from the NY Post, Obama was “not happy” that Rep. Nancy Pelosi quickly endorsed then-Vice President Kamala Harris only 24 hours after Biden ended his re-election bid. Obama, according to sources, preferred to let “a process” determine the Democratic nominee and called Pelosi to vent about her decision, according to a new book called Retribution, written by ABC News’ Jonathan Karl.
Related: Here are the celebrities who support Donald Trump
“The Obamas were not happy,” a Pelosi confidant told Karl, according to an excerpt obtained by the Daily Mail. “This person summed up Obama’s message to Pelosi as, essentially, ‘What the f–k did you just do?’”
Pelosi had an answer. “That train has left the station,” Pelosi reportedly told Obama, a reference to President Joe Biden’s quick endorsement of Harris. But this reportedly went against what the two had previously discussed, as both “agreed Harris should not simply be handed the nomination unchallenged.”
“Therefore, Obama and Pelosi — arguably the two most influential figures in the Democratic Party — had privately agreed to abstain from making any endorsements,” the journalist went on to say. The two had reportedly been in “regular communication” leading up to Biden’s announcement, which is why the endorsement took Obama by surprise.
But sources close to President Barack Obama don’t describe the conversation as a confrontation, instead describing it as “’good-natured ribbing,” and explaining, “The former president wanted to know what had happened. Why had Pelosi issued a statement endorsing Harris so soon? Hadn’t he and Pelosi agreed days earlier that party leaders anointing the vice president as Biden’s replacement would be a mistake?”
Perception is a funny thing, because sources close to Pelosi claim Obama sounded “genuinely irritated” on the call. Reportedly, Obama didn’t think Harris could beat Trump in the general election, though Obama has never specifically stated this out loud. Instead, we’re getting all these insights about what could have happened behind the scenes leading up to the election from secondary sources now, which is what usually happens. It just makes getting a clear picture a little confusing.
In the book, Karl explains that since big-name Democrats, like the Clintons, and even potential challengers, like Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, quickly endorsed Harris, Pelosi felt like she “had no choice” but to do the same. There was no one else.
“No other candidates had stepped forward — Kamala Harris was it. The only thing Pelosi could do was try to help her win the election,” he wrote in Retribution.
What does that mean about Obama’s relationship with Kamala Harris now? In September, The Daily Beast reported that Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff were seen dining at the same restaurant as the Obamas on Martha’s Vineyard, but in separate rooms. That was seen as proof that the two did not get along. But it’s probably just proof that everyone wanted to have a quiet dinner with their spouse. Whatever happened behind the scenes, and however Barack Obama and Kamala Harris feel about each other now, they’re likely to continue maintaining a civil relationship in public. Politics and all.
