US former President Barack Obama was reportedly not at all pleased when Nancy Pelosi endorsed ex-Vice President Kamala Harris less than a day after Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race .
According to ABC News journalist Jonathan Karl’s upcoming book Retribution, Obama phoned the former House Speaker soon after her statement went public to express his frustration, believing they had agreed to hold off and “let a process play out” to determine the Democratic nominee, New York Post reported.
“The Obamas were not happy,” a Pelosi confidant told Karl, who added that one person summed up Obama’s reaction as, “What the f–k did you just do?”
Pelosi had praised Harris as “brilliantly astute” and declared her full confidence in the former California senator’s ability to beat Donald Trump, breaking an informal understanding between two of the party’s most powerful figures.
Karl writes that both Obama and Pelosi had privately agreed that Harris should not be handed the nomination unchallenged — especially given the former president’s concerns about her electability. But once Biden himself threw his support behind Harris, Pelosi told Obama, “That train has left the station.”
Despite reports of tension, sources close to both Democrats described the exchange as more “good-natured ribbing” than an outright confrontation — though Pelosi’s camp said Obama sounded “genuinely irritated.”
The book also notes that Obama waited five days after Biden’s withdrawal to endorse Harris, while Pelosi did so in under 24 hours, effectively solidifying Harris’s position as the presumptive nominee.
Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, was reportedly surprised by her decision.
“Kamala?” he asked, to which Pelosi snapped back, “Don’t start with me.”
Ultimately, Karl suggests Pelosi felt boxed in as major Democratic figures — from Bill and Hillary Clinton to governors Josh Shapiro and Gavin Newsom — lined up behind Harris almost immediately.
“No other candidates had stepped forward,” Karl writes. “Kamala Harris was it — the only thing Pelosi could do was try to help her win.”
According to ABC News journalist Jonathan Karl’s upcoming book Retribution, Obama phoned the former House Speaker soon after her statement went public to express his frustration, believing they had agreed to hold off and “let a process play out” to determine the Democratic nominee, New York Post reported.
“The Obamas were not happy,” a Pelosi confidant told Karl, who added that one person summed up Obama’s reaction as, “What the f–k did you just do?”
Pelosi had praised Harris as “brilliantly astute” and declared her full confidence in the former California senator’s ability to beat Donald Trump, breaking an informal understanding between two of the party’s most powerful figures.
Karl writes that both Obama and Pelosi had privately agreed that Harris should not be handed the nomination unchallenged — especially given the former president’s concerns about her electability. But once Biden himself threw his support behind Harris, Pelosi told Obama, “That train has left the station.”
Despite reports of tension, sources close to both Democrats described the exchange as more “good-natured ribbing” than an outright confrontation — though Pelosi’s camp said Obama sounded “genuinely irritated.”
The book also notes that Obama waited five days after Biden’s withdrawal to endorse Harris, while Pelosi did so in under 24 hours, effectively solidifying Harris’s position as the presumptive nominee.
Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, was reportedly surprised by her decision.
“Kamala?” he asked, to which Pelosi snapped back, “Don’t start with me.”
Ultimately, Karl suggests Pelosi felt boxed in as major Democratic figures — from Bill and Hillary Clinton to governors Josh Shapiro and Gavin Newsom — lined up behind Harris almost immediately.
“No other candidates had stepped forward,” Karl writes. “Kamala Harris was it — the only thing Pelosi could do was try to help her win.”
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