‘What the F*ck Did You Just Do?’

Former President Barack Obama expressed frustration with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi following her swift endorsement of then–Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination after President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 race, according to a new book.

The account, detailed in Retribution by ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl, describes Obama as being caught off guard by Pelosi’s immediate public backing of Harris, just hours after Biden announced the end of his re-election campaign.

Pelosi released a statement less than 24 hours after Biden’s July 21, 2024, announcement, calling Harris “brilliantly astute” and saying she had “full confidence” that the former California senator could defeat President Trump in November.

Karl wrote that Obama, who had privately preferred that the Democratic nomination be decided through an open convention process rather than a swift endorsement, called Pelosi soon after her statement. According to a Pelosi confidant cited in the book, “The Obamas were not happy.

” The source summarized Obama’s reaction as:

“What the f*ck did you just do?”

Both Obama and Pelosi had reportedly agreed in the days leading up to Biden’s withdrawal that party leaders should avoid anointing Harris as the nominee without a formal process.

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Karl noted that the two were “in regular communication” before Biden’s decision and had privately concluded that Harris should not receive the nomination unchallenged.

“That train has left the station,” Pelosi reportedly told Obama during their call, referring to Biden’s immediate endorsement of his vice president.

According to the book, Obama had significant concerns about Harris’ electability and readiness for a national campaign. Those reservations, Karl wrote, were shared among other senior Democrats, including members of the Obama network who privately questioned whether Harris could defeat Trump.

A source close to Obama told Karl that the conversation with Pelosi was “good-natured ribbing,” suggesting it was not confrontational. However, a Pelosi ally told Karl the former president “sounded genuinely irritated” during the exchange.

Obama delayed his own endorsement of Harris for five days after Biden’s exit, a decision that reportedly reflected his doubts about her ability to unify the party and win over swing voters.

Karl wrote that at least one senior Biden adviser believed Obama’s hesitation was deliberate. “There’s only one Black Jesus,” the adviser said, suggesting Obama viewed himself, not Harris, as the singular political figure capable of uniting Democrats in moments of crisis.

Even Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, was taken aback by her decision. “Kamala?” he asked, according to Karl’s account. “Don’t start with me,” the former speaker replied.

Despite the tensions, Pelosi’s endorsement became a turning point for Harris’s campaign.

Within days, several top Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and California Governor Gavin Newsom, followed suit in offering their support.

Karl wrote that with no other viable candidates stepping forward, Pelosi “had no choice” but to rally behind Harris to ensure party unity ahead of the Democratic National Convention.

“No other candidates had stepped forward — Kamala Harris was it. The only thing Pelosi could do was try to help her win the election,” he wrote.

The revelation adds new detail to the internal divisions that surfaced inside the Democratic Party after Biden’s withdrawal, highlighting the uncertainty and strategic disagreements among the party’s most powerful figures during the transition to Harris’s campaign.