Washington D.C. — In the weeks following President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance in June 2024, Democratic leaders moved swiftly behind closed doors to force him out of the race, while publicly pretending to stand by him.
That shift marked the beginning of a coordinated internal campaign—led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former President Barack Obama—to push Biden aside, sideline Vice President Kamala Harris, and protect their influence over the party’s future.
Party Knew Biden Was Declining
Concerns about Biden’s mental sharpness were well known among Democratic lawmakers and aides long before the debate. According to journalists Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes, Biden once failed to recognize Rep. Eric Swalwell at a public event. Staff members observed other signs of confusion, but no one spoke publicly.
Democratic elites feared the consequences of admitting what many already suspected. Their strategy was to suppress evidence of Biden’s decline until it could no longer be hidden.
The Debate That Changed Everything
Biden’s performance in the June debate confirmed private doubts. As the president stumbled through incoherent answers, including a line where he mistakenly claimed to have “beat Medicare,” panic spread across the party.
Pelosi watched the event alone in her Washington condo, having previously advised Biden not to debate. Party officials avoided traditional watch parties. Instead, group chats among insiders lit up with alarm.
“The Democratic universe was on fire that night,” said Allen. “There was immediate fear, disillusionment, and a scramble for control.”
Pelosi and Obama Coordinated a Quiet Coup
Immediately after the debate, Pelosi and Obama began quietly pressuring Biden to withdraw. Obama sought an open primary, while Pelosi urged him to reconsider. Donors—many aligned with Obama—were advised to halt funding. Biden soon faced financial suffocation, with allies privately warning him that support was drying up.
Biden eventually agreed to step aside, but only after weeks of resistance. His decision came with conditions.
Kamala Harris Faced Sabotage from Within
Vice President Harris was the natural successor, but party leadership did not trust her to win. Obama and Pelosi doubted her electoral strength. They lobbied behind the scenes to see if alternatives could emerge.
Despite their lack of confidence, Biden endorsed Harris—but not before his team tried to weaken her. Aides warned donors that pushing Biden out would mean “stuck with Kamala.” Some of these threats were documented in emails.
Even after Biden dropped out, he insisted on controlling Harris’s campaign. He told her, “No daylight,” demanding she stay aligned with his unpopular record. Harris needed to differentiate herself to win, but Biden refused to allow it. He called her “kid” and forced her to run under his shadow.
Biden’s Team Treated Harris Like a Liability
Harris brought in trusted aides, but they were placed in a side office and largely ignored. The Biden staff, still in control, viewed Harris’s team as second-tier.
“The campaign turned into a civil war,” said Parnes. “You had people who once said Harris could never win now managing her campaign.”
This power imbalance left Harris hobbled. She could not fully lead, yet she bore full responsibility for the outcome.
Misled Until the Final Hours
Party insiders believed Harris still had a chance. Governor Tim Walz, who co-chaired her campaign, said he thought they were always behind but did not understand why the campaign refused to take more risks.
Internal data misled them until the end. On election night, as results came in, Harris learned she was losing. Walz sat in the Mayflower Hotel, stunned by the defeat.
“They were gaslit,” Parnes said. “They were led to believe they could win.”
The Fallout: Biden Blames Pelosi
According to Allen and Parnes, Biden told allies he would “never forgive” Pelosi for her role in pushing him out. The betrayal by party elites, including the former president and the sitting House leader, created fractures that remain unresolved.
Harris never recovered from the sabotage. She entered the race under pressure, bound to Biden’s failures, and guided by a staff that once tried to keep her from running.
The Democratic Party’s Internal Collapse
This episode reveals a party driven more by control than transparency. The Democratic base watched one story unfold on television, while a different reality played out behind closed doors.
The Biden exit was not a handoff—it was a takedown. Harris did not rise through support; she was backed into a corner, managed, and ultimately left to fail.
For voters who believed in unity and accountability, the 2024 campaign exposed something different: a leadership class willing to sacrifice its own to stay in power.
