Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, appeared extremely uncomfortable while attending a state funeral for the late President Jimmy Carter on Thursday, as the couple sat in proximity of President-elect Donald Trump and incoming first lady Melania Trump. But it wasn’t necessarily the fact that they were sharing the same space that led to a moment of extreme awkwardness and discomfort for her. Video of the scene caught Harris flashing a look behind her at Trump as former President Barack Obama chatted with him, which appeared to cause the VP some severe angst.
WATCH:
Kamala visibly furios after seeing Obama talking with Trump. ? pic.twitter.com/Lq0rhKzomx
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) January 9, 2025
It’s not clear what the two men were discussing, but what is known is that the history between Obama and Harris is quite rocky, to say the least, according to reports. Earlier this year, after President Joe Biden succumbed to pressure to end his reelection bid following his horrific debate performance against Trump and immediately endorsed his vice president, Obama waited to publicly endorse Harris’ presidential campaign, citing his belief that she is unlikely to defeat Donald Trump, according to a source familiar with the Biden family.
In the wake of Biden’s abrupt withdrawal the majority of Democratic leaders have swiftly rallied behind her candidacy. However, Obama stood out as a notable exception. “Obama’s very upset because he knows she can’t win,” the Biden family source told the New York Post. “Obama knows she’s just incompetent — the border czar who never visited the border, saying that all migrants should have health insurance. She cannot navigate the landmines that are ahead of her. When you are running for president, there are things you can and can’t say.”
“Wait until the debate … She can’t debate. She’s going to put her foot in her mouth about Israel, Palestine, Ukraine. She’s going to say something really stupid,” the source told The Post. “Obama knew this was going to happen, Joe knew this was going to happen. Now she is going to have to answer real questions.”
According to the source, Obama’s goal was to remove Biden from the equation, and George Clooney’s op-ed in the New York Times, urging Biden to step down, was a component of the strategy. However, the senior figures within the Democratic Party did not anticipate Biden’s immediate endorsement of Harris. “Obama was shocked” when the president backed her, as the insider revealed to The Post.
After Biden was removed from office, Obama, who did not respond to a request for comment from The Post, expressed a desire for Arizona Democratic senator and former astronaut Mark Kelly to be positioned as the leading candidate at the Democratic National Convention in August, according to the source. Obama was “furious” that things haven’t gone his way, “which is why he is not joining in the Democratic Party’s support of Harris,” the Biden source continued.
Another well-placed Democratic source told the outlet as well: “Obama being surprised by a smart political decision actually makes sense when coupled with his personal inability to see politics beyond his singular, immediate interests. Obama always thinks he is the smartest and coolest guy in the room. He’s friends with George Clooney, after all.”
