Kamala Harris’s awkward Oscar moment? Book claims ex-VP had to fake surprise as Obamas made her work for what should've been a surefire endorsement

Kamala Harris' path to becoming the Democratic nominee was not as easy as it appeared on the outside.

A new political memoir reveals her deep frustrations behind the scenes, particularly with Barack Obama. What appeared to be a warm endorsement turned out to be days of tense negotiations.

According to a new book, former Vice President Kamala Harris was "very annoyed" with former President Barack Obama when she asked for his support to replace former President Joe Biden on the Democratic ticket in 2024, as quoted in a report by Fox News.

Why did Barack Obama hesitate to endorse Kamala Harris?

Despite mounting pressure and support from top Democrats, Obama hesitated before endorsing her.

Authors Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes wrote, "As the hours passed, and it became evident that she was well on her way to seizing the nomination by storm, Obama's opposition to her grew more confounding."

“A confidant said that Harris was ‘very annoyed’ with him. They shared a large number of political allies and donors. The other members of the group joined her.

The "Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House" book, which was released earlier this month, describes how Harris won over important Democrats to his cause after Biden withdrew from the race.

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According to the authors, Barack Obama believed Harris couldn't defeat Donald Trump, so he didn't want her to run in Biden's place.

But the book claims that Obama talked to Harris over the course of the following few days and discovered that "his actions against Biden and Harris could diminish him in the eyes of Democratic elites."

Obama's reputation for Democratic Party loyalty was also at stake, according to Parnes and Allen. After Joe Biden withdrew from the race, Obama waited five days before endorsing Harris.

Did Obama try to block Harris’s nomination?

In his Tuesday interview with MSNBC, Allen talked about the book and how Obama tried to sabotage Kamala Harris by attempting to set up an open primary.

"President Obama absolutely did not think that Joe Biden should continue, according to our sources close to President Obama," Allen stated. He also opposed Kamala Harris taking Biden's place.

He didn't believe she was the best option for Democrats, so he spent a lot of time working behind the scenes to try to have an open convention, a mini-primary, or a mini-primary followed by an open convention.

What happened during the video call with the Obamas?

They recorded a video of Harris receiving a call from Barack and Michelle Obama to post online after some back and forth about how to best highlight Obama's endorsement, with Harris campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon concerned about money, as per a report by Fox News.

Kamala Harris had to pretend to be shocked and excited by what should have been a clear endorsement from both Obamas in order to appear genuine.

To reach an agreement on the most basic political act, days of intense negotiations were required.

The script and the entire frame were intended to elevate the Obamas by giving the impression that she was pleading for their approval, Allen and Parnes wrote.

However, Kamala Harris had placed the greatest emphasis on the unity's appearance. Therefore, the endorsement's authenticity and quality suffered," the authors stated, as per a report by Fox News.

FAQs

Why was Kamala Harris upset with Barack Obama?
She believed his delay in endorsing her, despite their common allies, was unnecessary and politically confusing.

Did Obama truly not want Harris to run?
According to the book, he believed she couldn't beat Trump and advocated for an open primary.