Obama doubted Harris and tried to stop her Presidential nomination, book claims

A jaw-dropping new book is shaking up the political scene, claiming former President Barack Obama had serious doubts about Vice President Kamala Harris’s chances of winning the 2024 election and quietly worked to stop her from snagging the Democratic nomination. Titled 'FIGHT: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House', the book by reporter Jonathan Allen spills the tea during an MSNBC 'Morning Joe' interview, where he dished that Obama didn’t just want President Joe Biden to step aside, he also wasn’t sold on Harris as the next in line. “Obama didn’t think she was the strongest pick for Democrats,” Allen said, adding that the former president pushed hard behind closed doors for a mini primary or an open convention to shake things up and find a better contender.

The plot thickens with a story about Obama lining up a call with South Carolina’s heavyweight Rep. James Clyburn on the very day Biden bowed out of the race. Allen says Clyburn saw it coming a mile away—figuring Obama would try to pull him into the open-convention scheme—and rushed out an endorsement for Harris to dodge the pressure. It’s painted as a slick move that threw a wrench in Obama’s plans to rally support for other options, with Allen flat-out stating, “He was really working against her.” Still, after all that maneuvering, Obama and Michelle Obama tossed Harris their backing five days later, dropping a polished video endorsement on X that felt more like a formality than a full-throated cheer.

The book also digs into Biden’s side of the drama, quoting him telling Harris, “No daylight, kid,” before her big debate. Allen writes that Biden was dead-set on Harris sticking to his script, guarding his legacy over letting her carve her own path win or lose. It’s a wild peek into the power plays that shaped the Democratic ticket, and it’s got everyone talking.