Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy claims that former President Barack Obama is secretly orchestrating Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign. These allegations, made during a radio interview on August 11, 2024, on 770 WABC’s “The Cats Roundtable,” have sparked considerable discussion and speculation about the extent of Obama’s influence in Harris’ bid for the White House.
McCarthy, who was ousted as House Speaker in October 2023, pointed to the presence of several key figures from Obama’s past campaigns now working for Harris. Among these are David Plouffe, Obama’s 2008 campaign manager, and Stephanie Cutter, who served as deputy campaign manager for Obama’s 2012 re-election bid.
Plouffe has been brought on as a senior adviser to Harris, a role that marks his return to the political fray after years in the private sector. Stephanie Cutter, another Obama-era veteran, has taken up the mantle as a senior adviser for strategy messaging within Harris’ team. Other notable figures include Jennifer Palmieri, who served as Obama’s White House director of communications, and Eric Holder, Obama’s former Attorney General, who was involved in vetting Harris’s selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.
McCarthy’s comments did not stop at Obama’s supposed behind-the-scenes role. He also criticized Harris’ decision to choose Walz over Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a move he described as a strategic misstep.
The former Speaker did not shy away from attacking Harris’s legislative record either. He specifically targeted her role in passing President Biden’s pandemic-related stimulus bills.
Despite McCarthy’s assertions, not everyone is convinced of Obama’s alleged control over Harris’ campaign. A former top adviser to Obama dismissed these claims, pointing out that it is not unusual for veteran Democratic strategists to work across different campaigns.
The narrative McCarthy presents is one of a party increasingly dominated by figures from Obama’s era, with Harris merely acting as a front for Obama’s continued influence.
This development has added fuel to the ongoing debate about the influence of former presidents in the political landscape. Whether McCarthy’s claims hold any truth remains to be seen, but they certainly reflect the deep-seated partisan tensions as the 2024 election approaches.