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Barack Obama is said to believe Kamala Harris can’t beat Donald Trump

Former President Barack Obama has yet to publicly endorse Kamala Harris for the US presidential race and a Biden source believes they know why.

Kamala Harris: US Presidential hopeful faces tough road ahead

Barack Obama has not endorsed Kamala Harris in the US presidential race because apparently he does not think she can beat Donald Trump.

The vice president has already received support from a number of Democrat state governors - some of whom were seen as possible rivals - as well as other power players like Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton.

Some notable holdouts remain, however, including former president Obama.

“Obama’s very upset because he knows she can’t win,” a Biden family source said, according to 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.”

Joe Biden and former US President Barack Obama attend a campaign fundraiser at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles in June. Picture: AFP
Joe Biden and former US President Barack Obama attend a campaign fundraiser at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles in June. Picture: AFP

The source cited by The Post said Mr Obama was “shocked” Mr Biden endorsed Ms Harris.

Mr Obama is said to have wanted Arizona Senator and former astronaut Mark Kelly “at the top of the ticket” when the Democratic National Convention is held next month, The Post reports, citing the source.

Mr Obama is said to be “furious,” things haven’t gone his way, which is why he is not joining in the Democratic Party’s support of Ms Harris, the source added, according to The Post.

Obama and the White House did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.

HARRIS HAS EDGE OVER TRUMP

A new US election poll shows Kamala Harris is narrowly beating Donald Trump in the US presidential race, with just two percentage points separating the pair.

According to the Reuters/Ipsos poll, which was conducted two days after Joe Biden dropped out of the election race, Ms Harris leads at 44 per cent – just ahead of Mr Trump at 42 per cent.

In the previous week’s poll, Ms Harris, 59, and Mr Trump, now the elderin the presidential race at 78, were tied at 44 per cent.

In a PBS News/NPR/Marist poll conducted on Monday, Mr Trump edges Ms Harris with 46 per cent to 45 per cent of US registered voters, with nine per cent undecided.

If third-party candidates or independents are included in the contest, Mr Trump and Ms Harris are tied at 42 per cent, with the others far behind.

The PBS News survey notably found that 87 per cent of all Americans think Mr Biden’s decision to drop out was the right move, a view that crossed partisan and generational lines.

A plurality of respondents (41 per cent) said Mr Biden’s decision increases Democrats’ chances of winning in November, compared to 24 per cent who said it decreases the party’s odds and 34 per cent who said it makes no difference.

EERIE ELECTION PREDICTION

Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley’s election prophecy made earlier this year may well come to fruition.

Ms Haley predicted that the party whose candidate was younger would win the 2024 election.

During her challenge against Mr Trump for the GOP nomination, Ms Haley argued that Americans were reluctant to face a choice between the 78-year-old former president and 81-year-old Mr Biden in November, citing concerns over their advanced ages.

“Most Americans do not want a rematch between Biden and Trump,” the former South Carolina governor said in January after losing the New Hampshire Republican primary.

“The first party to retire its 80-year-old candidate is going to be the party that wins this election.”

And now those comments have resurfaced, following Mr Biden’s decision to end his re-election campaign on Sunday.

This decision came after mounting pressure, sparked by a disastrous debate with Mr Trump in June that highlighted concerns about Mr Biden’s age and his prospects for winning and serving another term.

Mr Biden swiftly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, 59, as his successor to face Mr Trump, instantly positioning her as the frontrunner for the nomination at the Democratic National Convention in August.

And while Ms Haley didn’t endorse Mr Trump when she dropped out of the race in March, she later urged Republicans to unite behind him.

Former Republican candidate Nikki Haley. Picture: AFP
Former Republican candidate Nikki Haley. Picture: AFP

“If we have four more years of Biden or a single day of Harris, our country will be badly worse off,” she said in her speech.

“For the sake of our nation, we have to go with Donald Trump.”

However, after Mr Biden dropped out, some took to social media to remind Ms Haley of her past remarks.

The Republicans Against Trump account on X shared a clip of Ms Haley’s comments that has since amassed more than two million views.

“Amen!” Olivia Troye, a former Trump administration official, commented.

“Remember this, Nikki Haley?” political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen wrote alongside a clip of the comments.

“Nikki Haley is wrong about almost everything,” Matthew Sheffield wrote.

“But this past January, she said one thing that will likely be proven very, very correct.”

Originally published as Barack Obama is said to believe Kamala Harris can’t beat Donald Trump

Read related topics:Donald TrumpJoe Biden

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/world/flailing-democrats-face-uphill-battle-to-beat-trump/news-story/7392ea93b795df16dffb7c0a43ec9ff7