Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi both failed to endorse Kamala Harris as they issued statements supporting President Joe Biden’s decision to bow out of the 2024 race on Sunday.
Both the former president and former speaker were seen by those closest to Biden as plotting behind the scenes to gradually ramp up pressure on the president to drop out.
By not immediately endorsing Harris, it gives Obama, Pelosi and other Democratic leaders time to assess polling data over the next week that will give insight into how Harris would fare in a matchup against Trump.
“Joe Biden has been one of America’s most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me. Today, we’ve also been reminded—again—that he’s a patriot of the highest order,” Obama said in his statement, going on to praise Biden for his “character, deep empathy and hard-earned resilience; his fundamental decency and belief that everyone counts.”
Obama also gave Biden credit for putting country over party.
“For him to look at the political landscape and decide that he should pass the torch to a new nominee is surely one of the toughest in his life,” Obama wrote. “But I know he wouldn’t make this decision unless he believed it was right for America. It’s a testament to Joe Biden’s love of country—and a historic example of a genuine public servant once again putting the interests of the American people ahead of his own that future generations of leaders will do well to follow.”
Pelosi, for her part, called Biden “a patriotic American” with “a legacy of vision, values, and leadership” which make him “one of the most consequential Presidents in American history.”
However, Harris may not necessarily need their support to secure Biden’s delegates.
Since Biden cleaned up during the primary and has some 3,900 of the 4,672 total delegates—the vast majority of whom are “pledged” and locked in for the largely formal first ballot at the convention—Harris is in a very strong position to ride those Biden loyalists to the official nomination.
Only a late rules change could open the door for a potential contested convention, which remains unlikely.
However, Harris and any other yet-to-declare candidates will know more once the DNC’s rules committee meets at the end of next week.
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