Former President Barack Obama “lacked confidence” in Kamala Harris’s ability to defeat Donald Trump in the 2024 election and quietly “worked behind the scenes” to orchestrate a “mini-primary” following then-President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race, according to a new book.
The book FIGHT: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House reveals the turmoil within the Democratic Party as it scrambled to find a replacement for Joe Biden, offering the surprising revelation that Obama did not want Harris to be the nominee.
The reporting reveals a deep sense of skepticism at the highest levels of the Democratic establishment, despite Obama ultimately endorsing Harris five days after Biden handed her the reins.
NBC political reporter Jonathan Allen, who co-wrote the book with The Hill’s senior correspondent Amie Parnes, said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe Tuesday that sources told them Obama “didn’t think that she was the best choice for Democrats” and instead pushed for an open convention.
“So President Obama absolutely did not think that Joe Biden should continue, according to our sources close to President Obama. And he also didn’t want Kamala Harris to be the replacement for Biden. He didn’t think that she was the best choice for