Kevin McCarthy reveals who he believes is the mastermind behind Kamala Harris’ campaign
WASHINGTON, DC: Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has boldly asserted that former President Barack Obama is the true mastermind behind Kamala Harris's presidential campaign.
“If you’re watching the campaign now, some of Obama’s [key people such as] David Plouffe and others are now working on the campaign,” he declared during a Sunday, August 11, interview on 770 WABC's 'The Cats Roundtable'.
“You’re getting the Obamas shifting from running the White House to now running this campaign,” McCarthy added, as reported by New York Post.
KevinMcCarthy claims evidence of Obama-era influence in Kamala Harris’s campaign
Kevin McCarthy, the first speaker ousted in a floor vote in October, asserted that his claims are backed by evidence.
Harris’ campaign is indeed staffed by a cadre of Obama-era veterans. David Plouffe, who was Obama’s campaign manager in 2008 and a key White House adviser, now serves as a senior aide to Harris.
Eric Holder, Obama’s attorney general, played a crucial role in vetting potential vice-presidential candidates for Harris. Stephanie Cutter, who was pivotal in Obama’s 2012 reelection, is now shaping Harris’s campaign strategy.
McCarthy argued that the involvement of these figures is no coincidence.
He contended that Obama's influence extends far beyond his post-presidency office, directing a campaign that McCarthy describes as an extension of the Obama era. The Harris team also includes Jennifer Palmieri, a seasoned Democratic strategist and adviser to Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff.
She also served as Director of Communications for the White House under Obama and in the same role during former Secretary of State and ex-New York Senator Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, the campaign chairwoman for Harris’s 2024 presidential bid, previously played a key role in Obama’s 2008 campaign and in Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign.
Barack Obama’s former advisers dismiss Kevin McCarthy's assertions
Despite Kevin McCarthy’s claims, some former Barack Obama advisers dismissed the idea that the ex-president is orchestrating Kamala Harris’ campaign from behind the scenes.
They argued that it’s common for experienced Democratic strategists to work on multiple campaigns, especially for candidates with strong potential. “President Obama will get involved if Harris asks him to,” a source said.
Kevin McCarthy decries Harris-Walz ticket as 'most liberal ever'
Yet Kevin McCarthy remained unconvinced, portraying Kamala Harris as a “San Francisco liberal” and criticizing her choice of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. He argued that this selection reflects extreme liberalism and neglects key electoral battlegrounds such as Pennsylvania.
“This is by far …the most liberal ticket in the history of American politics. We do not want to put San Francisco and Minnesota across this country,” said McCarthy.
He argued that overlooking Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, for the Democratic vice-presidential nomination was a significant misstep.
"Any political-science person would tell you it’s all coming down to Pennsylvania and Georgia,” McCarthy stated of the 2024 election.
“Why would [Harris] skip Shapiro in picking a VP? Is she not going to stand up to her own party when they want to attack Israel? She wasn’t there when the prime minister of Israel came to speak to Congress. That’s her role and responsibility as president of the Senate," he added.
