Obama is beloved by the Democrat Party. But not every Leftist shares that sentiment.
And a new bombshell report exposes how this Democrat leader really feels about Barack Obama.
Kamala Harris’ Rocky Road to the 2024 Nomination: Tensions with Obama Revealed
A new book, Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House, exposes the behind-the-scenes drama between former Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Barack Obama during the chaotic scramble for the 2024 Democratic nomination.
Authors Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes paint a vivid picture of Harris feeling “very annoyed” with Obama as she fought tooth and nail to snag the party’s top spot after President Joe Biden bowed out of the race.
According to the recently released book, Harris was charging full steam ahead, locking down support from key Democrats and donors like a political whirlwind. Yet, Obama’s hesitation left her baffled and irritated. “As the hours rolled by, and it became clear that she was well on her way to seizing the nomination by storm, Obama’s opposition to her grew more confounding,” the authors write.
A close confidant of Harris reportedly confirmed her frustration, noting, “Harris was ‘very annoyed’ with him.” After all, they shared a web of mutual allies and cash-flowing donors—why wasn’t Obama jumping on board when the rest of the party was all-in?
The plot thickens as the authors reveal Obama’s reluctance stemmed from a belief that Harris couldn’t take down Donald Trump in the general election. Instead of rallying behind her, he quietly pushed for an open primary or convention to shake things up. But as the tide turned in Harris’ favor, Obama found himself in a tight spot.
The book suggests his resistance risked tarnishing his golden reputation among Democratic bigwigs. “His actions against Biden and Harris could diminish him in the eyes of Democratic elites,” Allen and Parnes note. Loyalty to the party was at stake, and a source close to Obama admitted, “there was a little bit of mending that had to be done.”
Five days after Biden’s exit—a political eternity—Obama finally threw his weight behind Harris. But even that came with a theatrical twist. The Harris campaign, strapped for cash according to campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon, hashed out a plan with Obama’s team to stage a video call featuring Barack and Michelle Obama endorsing her. The catch? Harris had to play up the surprise and excitement for the cameras.
“To seem real, Harris had to fake surprise and enthusiasm about what should have been an obvious endorsement from both Obamas. It took days of intense negotiations to strike a deal on the simplest act in politics,” the authors dish. They call it “typical bulls—,” arguing the staged spectacle was more about boosting the Obamas’ clout than showcasing genuine unity. For Harris, though, the appearance of a united front trumped all else, even if it meant sacrificing authenticity.
Speaking to MSNBC this week, co-author Jonathan Allen doubled down on Obama’s behind-the-scenes maneuvering. “President Obama absolutely did not think that Joe Biden should continue, according to our sources close to President Obama,” he said.
“And he also didn’t want Kamala Harris to be the replacement for Biden. 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.”
The 2024 Election: A Democratic Dumpster Fire
If the Harris-Obama saga wasn’t messy enough, the 2024 election cycle turned the Democratic Party into a full-on circus. Biden’s last-minute dropout in July threw the party into disarray, leaving Harris to claw her way to the nomination amid a storm of infighting and indecision.
The chaos didn’t stop there. With Obama playing puppet master in the shadows and party leaders scrambling to rally behind a candidate—any candidate—the Democrats looked less like a united front and more like a reality TV show gone off the rails.
The primaries had already exposed deep fissures, with progressive factions clashing against the establishment over policy and optics. Harris, stepping into Biden’s shoes, faced immediate skepticism from party heavyweights like Obama, who doubted her electability against a resurgent Trump.
The drawn-out endorsement drama only amplified the sense of a party adrift, unable to pivot quickly or convincingly. By the time the convention rolled around, the Democrats were bleeding momentum, their messaging muddled by internal power plays and a lack of clear vision.
Election Day laid bare the consequences. Trump’s campaign capitalized on the Democratic disarray, painting Harris as the face of a fractured party. Voters, already weary from years of political turbulence, seemed to punish the Democrats for their inability to get their act together. The 2024 race wasn’t just a loss—it was a masterclass in self-inflicted wounds, with the Harris-Obama tension serving as a glaring symbol of a party that couldn’t stop tripping over itself long enough to win.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
