Key Points:
Barack Obama was reportedly furious at Nancy Pelosi for suddenly endorsing Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
The incident is detailed in journalist Jonathan Karl’s book Retribution.
Obama and Pelosi had previously agreed not to make any endorsements, according to Karl.
Barack Obama was reportedly not particularly happy when the U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi suddenly endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. According to American journalist Jonathan Karl’s book Retribution, Obama was furious after Pelosi’s quick endorsement following former President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race.
While Pelosi explained in her endorsement statement that Harris has what it takes to win the 2024 presidential election, former U.S. President Barack Obama preferred a fair process for selecting the Democratic Party’s candidate instead of one influenced by endorsements.
A source close to Pelosi told Jonathan Karl that the Obamas were furious with the former House Speaker. They summarized their phone conversation in just seven words, allegedly saying, “What the f— did you just do?” However, another source close to Obama described the phone call to Karl as “good-natured.”
In an excerpt from Retribution, Karl wrote, “Obama and Pelosi — arguably the two most influential figures in the Democratic Party — had privately agreed to abstain from making any endorsements.”
Obama was reportedly not prepared for Pelosi’s sudden endorsement of Kamala Harris, especially since the two had maintained regular contact with each other. The main reason behind Pelosi’s move was that it had become evident Joe Biden would not continue in the race.
Weeks before Biden withdrew from the election, major debates were held regarding his mental fitness and whether he was fit to run. During the NATO summit, Biden had mistakenly called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “President Putin.”
He also referred to Kamala Harris as Donald Trump. All these factors led to Biden backing out of the 2024 presidential election on July 21, 2025, and endorsing Harris just hours after his withdrawal. Pelosi endorsed Harris the following day, on July 22, 2025, at around 1 p.m.
In Retribution, Karl also wrote that a source close to Pelosi explained Obama was not just upset about her decision to endorse Kamala — he was genuinely irritated by it. A member of Biden’s team alleged that Obama’s delay in endorsing Kamala was because he did not believe the former vice president could win the election against Donald Trump. One senior Biden adviser told Karl, “There’s only one Black Jesus.”
[Rh]
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