Barack Obama was 'working against' Kamala Harris becoming Democratic candidate in 2024, new book claims
WASHINGTON, DC: Barack Obama reportedly pulled the strings to block Kamala Harris from taking center stage after Joe Biden’s abrupt exit from the 2024 presidential race. According to a new book, he didn’t just have doubts - he was actively working against her.
Jonathan Allen—co-author of 'FIGHT: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House'—revealed on 'Morning Joe' that the former president didn’t just think Biden should step aside - he also wasn’t keen on Harris stepping up.
“President Obama absolutely did not think that Joe Biden should continue, according to our sources close to President Obama. And he also didn’t want Kamala Harris to be the replacement for Biden," Allen said.
The shadow campaign against Kamala Harris
Behind closed doors, Barack Obama was reportedly pushing hard for an open convention rather than letting Kamala Harris waltz into the nomination unchallenged, even though plenty of Democrats had her back. He wanted a “mini-primary” or some kind of selection process before handing over the nomination.
“He didn’t think that she was the best choice for Democrats, and he worked really behind the scenes for a long time to try to have a mini-primary, or an open convention, or a mini-primary leading to an open convention. [He] did not have faith in her ability to win the election,” Allen explained, adding, “He was really working against her.”
The book also reveals a seriously awkward phone call between Obama and Harris on the day Biden handed her the baton. The former president reportedly didn’t give her the endorsement she was undoubtedly hoping for, the New York Post reported.
And he wasn’t the only one who knew where this was headed. The book describes how South Carolina Rep James Clyburn—a major Democratic power player—caught wind of Obama’s hesitance and didn’t wait around to get caught up in his plans.
“In one moment, he had set up a phone call with Congressman [James] Clyburn from South Carolina on the day that Joe Biden handed off the baton to Kamala Harris,” Allen recounted. “And Obama had set up a call with Clyburn for like 5:30 that afternoon. And Clyburn thought to himself, this guy is going to try to rope me into the open convention thing, I better get my endorsement of Harris out there fast so this is a short conversation.”
It took five days before the Obamas finally gave Harris their public backing. When they did, it came with a neatly packaged social media post.
“We told her we think she’ll make a fantastic President of the United States, and that she has our full support,” Obama said in his X (formerly Twitter) endorsement, accompanied by a video of a carefully staged phone call.
Earlier this week, Michelle and I called our friend @KamalaHarris. We told her we think she’ll make a fantastic President of the United States, and that she has our full support. At this critical moment for our country, we’re going to do everything we can to make sure she wins in… pic.twitter.com/0UIS0doIbA
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 26, 2024
Joe Biden’s loyalty test
Just in case Kamala Harris thought she could chart her own course, Joe Biden made it clear he expected total loyalty—even after passing the torch.
According to 'FIGHT', Biden repeatedly reminded Harris not to break with him on key policies, even as she faced mounting criticism for not setting herself apart. The authors describe a particularly telling moment on the day of her first big debate as the new Democratic nominee.
“But the day of the debate, Biden called to give Harris an unusual kind of pep talk — and another reminder about the loyalty he demanded. No longer able to defend his own record, he expected Harris to protect his legacy,” Allen and co-author Amie Parnes wrote.
The message was clear. She must stick to the script.
“Whether she won or lost the election, he thought, she would only harm him by publicly distancing herself from him—especially during a debate that would be watched by millions of Americans. To the extent that she wanted to forge her own path, Biden had no interest in giving her room to do so," they continued.
"No daylight, kid," he reportedly told the then-59-year-old Harris. Back in 2008, Biden had used the same phrase to glue John McCain to George W Bush when running alongside Barack Obama. This time, though, he was making sure Harris remained tied to him—whether she liked it or not, according to the excerpt.
That might explain why Harris struggled to make her own mark. She held on to Biden’s policies so tightly that when 'The View' asked if she would have done anything differently during his presidency, she couldn’t come up with a single thing.
