Just a few days after President Joe Biden left the 2024 presidential race, his replacement, Vice President Kamala Harris, took over the campaign and got a headline-grabbing endorsement from Barack and Michelle Obama.

The campaign, still a bit in disarray, made the endorsement into promotional material, but suffice to say the execution was a bit lacking.

Reporters Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes spilled the beans about the event in their upcoming book, "Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House."

According to the authors, the video format, which was frequently deemed "cringe" and "staged," was actually a result of desperation.

Campaign Decision

The campaign was being run by Obama alumna Jen O'Malley Dillon, and it was reportedly "hemorrhaging cash" to the point that one source told the book authors that there were major concerns.

Namely, they were concerned that in August of that year, they might not be able to make payroll to the staffers working to get Harris to the White House.

O'Malley Dillon believed that converting the Obamas' endorsement of Harris into a nice shareable clip would be a cheap way to "generate some grassroots giving."

The problem, according to the authors, is that O'Malley Dillon did not articulate that, and the Obamas were somewhat inflexible with their schedule.

"Harris aides were taken aback when they heard what they believed was a demand from the Obamas," Allen and Parnes wrote. "The former first couple was purportedly insisting on a campy behind-the-scenes video of Harris taking their call."

Problems on Set

One aide said, "It was like, 'Here's the window of time that Michelle and Barack have for you to take this call, and it can't be on video because Michelle's not going to be camera-ready."'

"Harris’s longtime advisers pushed back, asking why the Obamas wouldn’t just put out a paper statement or a tweet," Allen and Parnes wrote. "A bewildered Obama aide replied that the video was the Harris campaign's idea."

The source who divulged the payroll problem outlined the issue, saying: "Jen wanted a video because we were hard up for cash,' the person said. 'But she didn't tell anybody. She wasn't transparent about it. Logistically, it was a pain in the butt."

The Initial Endorsement

The former president came forward and made a public declaration of his support via a post on X, where he said: "Earlier this week, Michelle and I called our friend Kamala Harris. We told her we think she'll make a fantastic President of the United States, and that she has our full support."

"At this critical moment for our country, we're going to do everything we can to make sure she wins in November. We hope you'll join us."

Along with the post was a 55-second video that showed Barack and Michelle Obama reportedly offering their support to Harris over the phone.

Back and Forth

In a portion of the clip, Michelle said: "I can't have this phone call without saying to my girl Kamala: I am proud of you. This is going to be historic."

Barack chimed in, saying: "We called to say Michelle and I couldn't be prouder to endorse you and to do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office."

In her reaction, Harris said, "Michelle, Barack, this means so much to me. I am looking forward to doing this with the two of you, Doug and I both, and getting out there, being on the road."

"But most of all I just want to tell you that the words you have spoken and the friendship that you have given over all these years mean more than I can express."