Obama fumed at Nancy Pelosi for endorsing Kamala Harris: ‘What the f**k did you just do?’
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Former President Barack Obama reportedly erupted in frustration after Nancy Pelosi swiftly endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris just a day after Joe Biden exited the presidential race.
According to a new book by ABC’s Jonathan Karl, Obama had urged party leaders to allow a proper process to determine the Democratic nominee, a plan that was upended by Pelosi’s move.
Obama confronted Nancy Pelosi over her Kamala Harris endorsement
According to an excerpt from Karl’s new book, Retribution, obtained by the Daily Mail, a Pelosi confidant told Karl, “The Obamas were not happy.”
Pelosi praised Harris as “brilliant” and “astute,” voicing full confidence in her ability to defeat Donald Trump. She issued her endorsement just a day after Joe Biden ended his campaign. Obama, who wanted a fair process to choose the nominee, called Pelosi soon after, expressing frustration.
“This person summed up Obama’s message to Pelosi as, essentially, ‘What the f**k did you just do?’”
Obama reportedly had serious concerns about Harris’s competence and ability to beat Trump in the general election. “That train has left the station,” Pelosi reportedly told Obama during their call, according to Karl, apparently referring to Biden’s quick endorsement of Kamala Harris after announcing his decision to end his campaign.
Karl wrote that Obama and Pelosi 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 claimed.
A source close to Obama described the former president’s conversation with Pelosi as “good-natured ribbing,” rather than heated, according to Karl.
“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?” Karl writes.
However, the source close to Pelosi felt Obama sounded “genuinely irritated” on the call.
Top Democrats unite behind Kamala Harris despite party rift
At least one Biden official believed that Obama’s delayed endorsement, which came five days after Biden’s exit from the race, reflected doubts about Harris’ ability to win. “There’s only one Black Jesus,” the senior Biden adviser told Karl.
Like Obama, Pelosi’s husband was also surprised by the former House speaker’s decision. “Kamala?” Paul Pelosi asked his wife, according to Karl. To which Nancy shot back, “Don’t start with me.”
With big-name Democrats such as the Clintons, and potential challengers like Pennsylvania Gov Josh Shapiro and California Gov Gavin Newsom, quickly endorsing Harris, Pelosi “had no choice,” Karl notes in his book.
“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 his book, which is set to be released on Tuesday, October 28.
