Obama's inner circle signals 44th president firmly behind Harris despite not saying so publicly
Former President Obama has not yet endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for president, though allies in the Obama orbit indicate the 44th president is squarely behind Harris’ campaign.
President Biden dropped out of the 2024 race Sunday afternoon in a letter posted to his X account, which was shortly followed by him endorsing Harris for president. Democrats nationwide soon united in their calls for Harris to become the party’s nominee as they square up for another election battle against former President Donald Trump.
Though Democratic leaders such as Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, as well as the Clintons and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have offered Harris their endorsements, Obama has remained mum.
"Michelle and I just want to express our love and gratitude to Joe and Jill for leading us so ably and courageously during these perilous times — and for their commitment to the ideals of freedom and equality that this country was founded on," Obama wrote in his statement following Biden bowing out, which did not including mentioning Harris.
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Since leaving the Oval Office, Obama has typically held his endorsement card close to his chest. He endorsed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in June of 2016, while his endorsement of Biden in 2020 was only made days ahead of the DNC.
Obama remained coy for a long while during the 2020 election about whom he would endorse, saying he would not back anyone during the primary. As Democratic contenders such as Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders dropped out of the primary race and cleared a path for Biden, however, Obama finally endorsed his former veep in August of that year.
Harris was also a contender in the 2020 race, and had long had a friendship with Obama prior to her 2020 run, sparking media speculation that the 44th president could throw his support behind Harris instead of his VP.
Harris was among the first elected Democrats in the nation to endorse Obama’s first run for president in the 2008 election, snubbing Hillary Clinton in favor of the then-Illinois senator.
"I’m told that I was the first elected person in California to endorse [Obama] when he decided to run for president," Harris said back in 2019 while she was campaigning for president. "I will remind you, and it is important to know, that early in those days Joe Biden was running against him."
Harris was in attendance when Obama announced his candidacy for president in 2007, after first meeting him 2004 when he was an Illinois state senator running for the U.S. Senate, the Washington Examiner previously reported.
"Barack Obama will be a president who finally ends the era of fear that has been used to divide and demoralize our country," Harris said during California's Democratic convention in 2008.
As Harris built her political career from San Francisco district attorney to California attorney general and then senator, Harris was even dubbed "the female Obama" by some political analysts.
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Fast forward to Harris’ 2020 campaign for the presidency, those in Obama's orbit rallied around Harris’ campaign while the 44th president kept quiet. Public relations executive Michael Kempner and his wife held a fundraiser for Harris in the Hamptons that cycle, after they raised millions for Obama during his 2012 re-election campaign, Politico reported at the time. Eugene Duffy, who served as national finance committee member for Obama in 2008, helped fundraise for Harris that cycle, as did Obama donor and supporter, Jeff Shell, the former CEO of NBCUniversal.
Though Obama is again remaining coy with his endorsement in 2024 cycle, powerful advisers and allies in his orbit have joined Harris' campaign. Harris tapped Obama’s former attorney general Eric Holder to lead the vetting process of Harris’ potential running mates, while the campaign also reportedly contacted longtime Obama adviser David Plouffe for a leadership position on the team. Jennifer O'Malley Dillon, who worked as Obama’s 2012 deputy campaign manager and Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign chair, was announced as Harris’ campaign manager.
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Ahead of Biden dropping out of the race on Sunday afternoon, Obama allies notably helped lead the charge in calling for Biden to exit the race in favor of a candidate they believed was more suitable to take on Trump.
Obama's former chief campaign strategist David Axelrod declared earlier this month that Biden is "not winning this race." Actor George Clooney called on Biden to drop out of the race in a bombshell op-ed that was published just weeks after the Hollywood star co-hosted Biden, alongside Obama, for a ritzy campaign event in Los Angeles. Clooney has long had a personal friendship with Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, including vacationing with the first couple in previous years.
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Another ally in Obama's orbit, Jon Favreau, who served as former director of speech writing for Obama, also called on Biden to drop out of the race this month, saying he attended the fundraiser in L.A. with Clooney and Obama and witnessed firsthand Biden's state of mental acuity. Favreau, alongside former Obama advisers Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor — known collectively as the "Obama Bros" when they worked in the White House — also dedicated the majority of a podcast episode of "Pod Save America" this month to trashing Biden.
The "Obama Bros" and other former advisers in Obama’s orbit have since taken to social media to celebrate Harris’ run.
As momentum builds behind Harris’ candidacy, with the DNC anticipated to certify her as the nominee on Aug. 1, Obama’s statement Sunday follows his history of not expeditiously tipping the political scales in favor of one candidate over another.
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"We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges," Obama said in his statement on Sunday. "I believe that Joe Biden’s vision of a generous, prosperous, and united America that provides opportunity for everyone will be on full display at the Democratic Convention in August. And I expect that every single one of us are prepared to carry that message of hope and progress forward into November and beyond."