Former President Barack Obama was reportedly caught off guard and angered when former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi swiftly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s 2024 presidential nominee, just hours after President Joe Biden announced he would not seek re-election. According to a forthcoming book by ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl, Pelosi called Harris “brilliantly astute” and said she had “full confidence” in her ability to defeat then-Republican nominee Donald Trump. Her quick endorsement, coming less than 24 hours after Biden’s withdrawal, surprised several senior Democrats — including Obama, who had urged party leaders to allow “a process” before backing a successor.
In his book Retribution, Karl reports that Obama and Pelosi had previously agreed to avoid early endorsements, fearing the appearance of “anointing” Harris without an open contest. When Pelosi moved ahead anyway, Obama called her directly to express frustration. “That train has left the station,” Pelosi reportedly replied, citing Biden’s immediate endorsement of Harris. While one Obama ally described the exchange as “good-natured ribbing,” a Pelosi confidant told Karl the former president was “genuinely irritated.” On MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Karl said Obama’s irritation stemmed from what he described as a “pact” between the two to hold some kind of mini-primary or delegate process rather than an automatic coronation.
Karl added that Obama questioned Pelosi during the call, saying, “Nancy, what was that all about?” though interpretations of his tone differ. Obama waited five days before publicly endorsing Harris, fueling speculation about his doubts regarding her electability. By that time, leading Democrats — from Gretchen Whitmer to Gavin Newsom — had already rallied behind Harris. Ultimately, Karl writes, Pelosi “had no choice” but to stand by her endorsement. In the general election, Trump defeated Harris decisively, winning both the Electoral College and the popular vote, marking the first Republican popular-vote victory since George W. Bush in 2004.
