Sources suggest Biden endorsement of Harris was act of revenge against Obama

The last two weeks witnessed political drama the likes of which the country has rarely seen, and in the end, it resulted in the withdrawal of Joe Biden from the 2024 presidential race.

However, despite Biden's attempts to portray his subsequent endorsement of Kamala Harris as the replacement candidate as an organic and logical passing of the torch, some insiders suggest that it was in fact a move designed to exact a measure of revenge on former President Barack Obama, as the New York Post reports.

Biden's revenge

Considering that his campaign aides were reassuring voters of his unwavering commitment to the race just hours before his announced withdrawal, Biden's departure from contention last Sunday came as a shock to many.

Though the president himself later expressed that his decision was in order to further a “defense of democracy” and that it was time for a new generation of leaders to take the reins, reports suggest that there was more to his nod to Harris than met the eye.

According to insiders familiar with the situation behind the scenes, Biden's rapid endorsement of Harris was done in defiance of Obama, who is said to have preferred a different candidate altogether due to worries about the current VP's chances of winning the White House.

One such source suggested that after Obama put pressure on Biden to leave the campaign scene behind, the president was determined to offer a “big f**k you” to his former boss.

“Joe said, 'If I'm out, then I am endorsing her,'” the insider added.

Presidential resentment abounds

The hostility felt by Biden toward Obama had reportedly been growing in recent weeks, as doubts continued to grow within the Democratic Party about the president's re-election prospects in the wake of his disastrous debate against Donald Trump.

Though Obama had not publicly joined the ranks of lawmakers and others who called for Biden to drop out of presidential contention, he was said to have effectively given his approval to a headline-grabbing letter from actor George Clooney, who recently headed up a massive California fundraiser for the party.

As the Daily Mail reported, the entire process had left Biden feeling “a deep sense of betrayal” with regard to Obama, under whom he served eight years as vice president.

Biden reportedly saw Obama as something of a “puppet master” among high-ranking Democrats and someone who had not lifted a finger to help him amid his recent difficulties in what some characterized as a drama of almost Shakespearean qualities.

Given that Obama took longer than most other powerful Democrats to rally behind Harris' candidacy, perhaps there is more than a kernel of truth to reports that Biden's almost instantaneous call to action on the vice president's behalf really was an act of vengeance rather than one borne of heartfelt conviction.