A new book has revealed that former President Joe Biden allegedly avoided speaking with former President Barack Obama in the weeks leading up to and following his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race.
The book reveals that Biden declined to communicate with his previous superior for nearly a month after nominating Kamala Harris as Vice President. The revealing new book also suggests that Biden’s relationship with Obama, aged 64, deteriorated when rumors arose that the ex-president was behind Hollywood star George Clooney’s damning New York Times op-ed, which urged Biden to exit the race.
In the July piece, Clooney encouraged Biden, aged 82, to step aside following his disastrous debate with President Donald Trump. The Academy Award-winning actor declared that Biden “cannot win” less than a month after hosting a fundraiser that allegedly raised $30 million for the Democratic Party.
It was during this event that the former president was escorted offstage by Obama. “Obama had been trying to get in touch with Biden for about two weeks, but his calls had not been returned,” ABC News’ chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl penned in an excerpt from the forthcoming book Retribution: Donald Trump and the Campaign That Changed America.
“Obama reached out again after Biden suspended his campaign, but the two men would not end up speaking until shortly before the Democratic National Convention four weeks later,” the excerpt continued. Both President Obama and Biden were contacted by The Irish Star for comment, reports The Irish Star.
The New York Post reported that Biden had a complex relationship with Obama, feeling overshadowed by the 44th president’s celebrity status. This sentiment was allegedly reinforced whenever Obama visited the White House.
“Obama caused tension when he would visit the White House because he operated as if he still ran it,” a Biden White House official told The Post. “He made Biden feel secondary in the room even when staffers were present.”
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Reports also surfaced that Biden declined calls from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was reportedly spearheading Democratic efforts to push him out of the race. The excerpt reportedly describes Biden relying on his inner circle of advisors and family members as his candidacy drew to a close.
Kamala’s Calling
According to Karl, Vice President Kamala Harris refused to make calls to lawmakers on behalf of President Biden. “Calls to lawmakers, Harris believed, could be misinterpreted as the early stages of an effort to secure the nomination for herself,” wrote Karl.
“If she called Democratic members, those members could later disclose that they had spoken to her and misrepresent the purpose of the call,” he added. President Biden later went on to endorse his vice president a mere 27 minutes after ending his campaign.
According to the book, the then-vice president warned that without an immediate endorsement – something Biden’s team was planning to do a bit later – there could be competition for the nomination.
Harris would go on to lose the election to President Trump, becoming the first Democratic candidate to lose the popular vote in 20 years.
