In a bizarre turn of events just three days after President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris found herself facing an unusual task: filming a video with the Obamas to announce their endorsement of her campaign.
The video, which many online critics have labeled “cringe” and “staged,” was created in response to a campaign that was struggling financially, according to journalists Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes in their upcoming book Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House.
Campaign Struggles and Desperation for Funding
The campaign that Kamala Harris inherited from Biden was in a dire situation.
Managed by Obama alumna Jen O’Malley Dillon, the campaign was hemorrhaging money, with reports claiming there were real concerns that it might not be able to make payroll by August.
In an attempt to save money and boost grassroots support, O’Malley Dillon came up with the idea to film the endorsement video, hoping it would be more cost-effective than hosting a major event or putting out a simple statement from the Obamas.
However, this move ended up creating confusion and frustration within Harris’ team.
The plan, as outlined by the authors, was that Michelle and Barack Obama would not appear on camera, but Harris would, creating a behind-the-scenes clip that would be shareable across social media platforms.
This arrangement was meant to serve both the campaign’s budget and publicity goals.
Miscommunication and Confusion Over the Video Idea
The decision to make the video did not sit well with Harris’ aides, who were taken aback by what they understood to be a request from the Obamas to record the video.
According to the authors, the Obamas insisted that Harris film the clip, despite Michelle Obama not being “camera-ready” at the time.
Harris’ team was baffled, wondering why the endorsement couldn’t simply be issued through a statement or tweet, as many campaigns do.
The confusion stemmed from O’Malley Dillon’s lack of transparency about the situation.
A source close to the campaign shared their frustration, explaining that the idea for the video came from the financial struggles of the campaign but that it was not clearly communicated to the staff.
“Jen wanted a video because we were hard up for cash,” the source said.
“But she didn’t tell anybody. She wasn’t transparent about it. Logistically, it was a pain in the butt.”
Filming the Awkward Endorsement Video
Despite the internal conflicts, Harris filmed the video on July 24 while she was in Indianapolis to speak at the Zeta Phi Beta sorority event.
The video, which was released the following Friday, shows Harris pretending to be surprised and enthusiastic about the endorsement from the Obamas, even though it was clearly expected.
As the video played out, Harris was handed a phone by an aide, and she feigned surprise upon hearing the voices of both Barack and Michelle Obama. “Ohh hi, you’re both together.
It’s good to hear you both,” she said, trying to play along with the scripted moment.
Optics Over Authenticity
According to Allen and Parnes, the most important goal of the video was to create a visual of unity between Harris and the Obamas, even if the authenticity of the moment was sacrificed.
The authors pointed out that the campaign’s focus on optics—making it seem as if Harris was eagerly seeking the Obamas’ approval—was the main priority.
The video’s awkwardness and forced energy became a symbol of the desperate situation the campaign was in.
As one source put it, the whole production felt like “typical bulls***.” What was meant to be a simple moment of political endorsement ended up becoming a much-discussed, uncomfortable display of how far Harris’ team had to go to create a sense of unity and support, even if it didn’t feel genuine.