Barack Obama spent years building his reputation as the Democrats’ puppet master.
Nancy Pelosi exposed how much control he actually had.
And Barack Obama turned red with rage after Nancy Pelosi made one move that cost him dearly.
Obama and Pelosi orchestrated Biden’s exit but clashed over what came next
Democrats spent months behind the scenes engineering President Joe Biden’s exit from the 2024 presidential race.¹
The coordination between former President Barack Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi became clear as they worked together to pressure Biden to abandon his reelection bid after his disastrous June debate performance.²
Obama took calls from congressional leadership, Democrat governors, and major donors expressing concerns about Biden’s candidacy while Pelosi privately warned Biden the party would lose control of Congress with him at the top of the ticket.³
But the two most powerful figures in the Democrat Party had a private agreement as Biden’s presidency crumbled.
They would hold off on endorsing any replacement candidate and let “a process” unfold to determine the nominee.⁴
Obama didn’t want Vice President Kamala Harris simply handed the nomination without challenge.
ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl revealed in his new book Retribution that Obama and Pelosi “had privately agreed to abstain from making any endorsements” once Biden dropped out.⁵
The plan was to avoid anointing Harris and instead hold something resembling an open convention where multiple candidates could compete.
Obama’s reasoning was simple: he didn’t think Harris could beat Donald Trump.⁶
Pelosi’s endorsement blindsided Obama and sparked furious phone call
On July 21, 2024, Biden announced he was abandoning his reelection campaign.
Within hours, he endorsed Harris.
The next day, Pelosi pulled the trigger on an endorsement that sent Obama into a rage.
Around 1 pm on July 22, Pelosi issued a statement backing Harris, describing her as “brilliantly astute” and expressing “full confidence” she could defeat Trump.⁷
Obama immediately called Pelosi demanding to know what happened.
“The Obamas were not happy,” a Pelosi confidant told Karl. “This person summed up Obama’s message to Pelosi as, essentially, ‘What the f*** did you just do?'”⁸
The former president wanted to know why Pelosi had broken their agreement.
A source close to Pelosi characterized Obama as sounding “genuinely irritated” during the call.⁹
Pelosi’s response was blunt: “That train has left the station.”¹⁰
Obama’s preferred plan collapsed within 24 hours of Biden’s exit
Obama’s vision of an open process to select the Democrat nominee never had a chance.
Major party figures fell in line behind Harris with stunning speed.
Within hours of Biden’s exit, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez all endorsed Harris.¹¹
Bill and Hillary Clinton quickly followed.
By the time Pelosi made her move the next day, the nomination was already Harris’s to lose.
“No other candidates had stepped forward – Kamala Harris was it,” Karl wrote. “The only thing Pelosi could do was try to help her win the election.”¹²
Even Pelosi’s husband questioned her judgment in backing Harris.
“Kamala?” Paul Pelosi asked his wife, according to the book.¹³
“Don’t start with me,” Nancy Pelosi fired back.¹⁴
The exchange revealed what many Democrats privately believed: Harris was a weak candidate who couldn’t win.
A senior Biden adviser who also worked in Obama’s White House explained Obama’s real concern to Karl.
“There’s only one Black Jesus,” the aide quipped, suggesting Obama believed no other Black candidate could replicate his electoral success.¹⁵
Obama’s fears proved correct as Trump dominated Harris
Obama eventually endorsed Harris five days after Biden withdrew, appearing in a staged phone call with his wife Michelle.¹⁶
But his delay fueled speculation he had serious doubts about her chances.
The November election proved Obama right.
Trump defeated Harris by winning 312 Electoral College votes to her 226.¹⁷
He carried all seven swing states and became the first Republican since 2004 to win the popular vote.¹⁸
The results exposed the fatal flaw in how Democrats selected their 2024 nominee.
Obama and Pelosi spent months orchestrating Biden’s exit, using backroom pressure and coordinated leaks to force him out.
But when the moment came to select a replacement, the party establishment that pushed Biden aside lost control of the process.
Harris secured the nomination through Biden’s endorsement and a rush of support from party leaders terrified of an open fight.
The “process” Obama wanted never happened because Democrats couldn’t risk the chaos of an actual competitive selection.
Obama’s carefully constructed image as the Democrats’ master strategist took a beating.
He got outmaneuvered by Biden’s quick Harris endorsement and Pelosi’s decision to back her despite their agreement.
The former president who spent years maintaining influence over the Democrat Party discovered his power has limits when others refuse to follow his script.
¹ NBC News, “Nancy Pelosi helped pressure Joe Biden to end his 2024 campaign,” July 23, 2024.
² CNN, “Obama, Pelosi privately expressed concerns over Biden,” July 12, 2024.
³ PBS, “Obama, Pelosi, other top Democrats make a fresh push for Biden to reconsider 2024 race,” July 19, 2024.
⁴ Fox News, “Obama angry with Pelosi over quick Harris endorsement after Biden exit,” October 27, 2025.
⁵ Daily Mail, “‘What the f*** did you just do?’ Obama’s furious call to Nancy Pelosi after election betrayal,” October 27, 2025.
⁶ Ibid.
⁷ Mediaite, “Obama Fumed at Pelosi for Endorsing Kamala Harris,” October 27, 2025.
⁸ Daily Mail, “‘What the f*** did you just do?’ Obama’s furious call to Nancy Pelosi after election betrayal,” October 27, 2025.
⁹ Ibid.
¹⁰ Ibid.
¹¹ WJR-AM, “Book: Obama Furious Pelosi Endorsed Kamala,” October 27, 2025.
¹² Daily Mail, “‘What the f*** did you just do?’ Obama’s furious call to Nancy Pelosi after election betrayal,” October 27, 2025.
¹³ Ibid.
¹⁴ Ibid.
¹⁵ Ibid.
¹⁶ Ibid.
¹⁷ Ibid.
¹⁸ NPR, “Trump falls just below 50% in popular vote, but gets more than in past elections,” December 3, 2024.
