Barack Obama tried to stop failed 2024 candidate Kamala Harris from becoming the Democrats’ presidential nominee because he knew she couldn’t beat President Donald Trump, a new book has revealed.
According to the new book, “FIGHT: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House,” Obama knew Harris was not up to the task of beating Trump,
Throughout her vice presidency, Harris had long been dismissed as an awkward and ineffective communicator.
Harris also failed to win over voters in the Democrat 2020 primary, dropping out early in the race.
Nevertheless, Democrats quickly rallied behind Harris after the seismic end of former President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign last summer.
Jonathan Allen, co-author of the new book, described how Obama scrambled to set up a “mini primary” to find a new candidate.
During an appearence on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Allen said:
“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.”
According to Allen, Obama refused to endorse Harris in a phone conversation with her on the very day that Biden “passed the baton.”
Democrat Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), a political power broker who helped secure Biden’s nomination in 2020, made a rushed endorsement of Harris after realizing Obama’s plan.
“Obama had set up a call with Clyburn for like 5:30 that afternoon,” Allen said.
“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.”
Rumors have long swirled about Obama’s doubts concerning Biden’s political talents.
Obama famously snubbed his former running mate’s presidential hopes in 2016 to support Hillary Clinton’s doomed campaign.
Lingering resentments were apparent in July 2024 as Biden, fighting for his political life, swiped at Democrat “elites” trying to force him aside.
Despite offering tepid support to Biden after his debate meltdown, Obama was said to be working against his former vice president behind the scenes.
However, Obama also seemed skeptical of Harris, who received his cautious endorsement nearly one week after Biden dropped out and immediately endorsed her.
Obama initially seemed to favor an open primary process, rather than a coronation like the one Harris received.
“We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead,” Obama said at the time.
“But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.”
President Trump’s crushing defeat of Harris has left Democrats adrift.
Even Obama, the longtime spiritual leader of the party, appears less influential than ever before.
In the wake of Trump’s historic reelection, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) all but admitted that Biden saddled the party with a weak candidate.
“The anticipation was that, if the president were to step aside, that there would be an open primary,” Pelosi said.
“And because the president endorsed Kamala Harris immediately, that really made it almost impossible to have a primary at that time.”
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