Former President Barack Obama was “not happy” with Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) quick endorsement of then-Vice President Kamala Harris — and he let it be known in a phone call with the former House speaker, according to a new book.
Pelosi described Harris as “brilliantly astute” and expressed “full confidence” that the ex-California senator could defeat President Trump in her endorsement statement, which came less than 24 hours after Joe Biden ended his 2024 re-election bid.
Obama, who preferred to let “a process” determine Trump’s Democratic Party opponent, called Pelosi shortly after her endorsement to vent his frustration — having thought they were on the same page, ABC News’ Jonathan Karl wrote in “Retribution,” out Tuesday.
“The Obamas were not happy,” a Pelosi confidant told Karl, according to an excerpt obtained by the Daily Mail.
“This person summed up Obama’s message to Pelosi as, essentially, ‘What the f–k did you just do?’”
It has been widely reported that the 44th president wanted an open convention to determine the party’s nominee, rather than anointing Harris after Biden’s shocking drop-out.
Obama reportedly had serious concerns about Harris’ competence and her 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 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.
The pair had been in “regular communication” leading up to Biden’s July 21, 2024, withdrawal announcement, which is why Obama was so stunned by Pelosi’s decision to back Harris.
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.
At least one Biden official believed that Obama, who waited five days after the then-81-year-old president dropped out to endorse Harris, didn’t think the former vice president could 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 Pelosi shot back: “Don’t start with me.”
In “Retribution,” Karl notes that 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.”
“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.
Pelosi’s office did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
