Many Republicans have long suspected that former President Barack Obama has quietly been a guiding force behind the Biden-Harris administration over the past few years.

Now one formerly prominent top Republican, ex-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), has asserted that Obama is similarly running Vice President Kamala Harris' sudden presidential campaign from behind the scenes, according to the New York Post.

In support of that claim, McCarthy took note of how several high-profile alumni from Obama's administration and two successful campaigns are now filling major roles in the Harris campaign.

Obama and his people are running Harris' campaign

Former Speaker McCarthy appeared Sunday on WABC's "The Cat's Roundtable" radio show with host John Catsimatidis, who observed that former Obama-era Attorney General Eric Holder, who remains loyal to the former president he once described as his "wingman," led the vetting process for the Harris campaign's selection of a running mate.

"If you’re watching the campaign now, some of Obama’s [key people] -- David Plouffe and others are now working on the campaign" for VP Harris," McCarthy replied with a mention of Obama's 2008 campaign manager and senior White House advisor.

He added, "You’re getting the Obamas shifting from running the White House to now running this campaign."

Obama-era alumni fill key roles in Harris campaign

According to Fox News, Plouffe, who was just hired as a senior campaign adviser for the Harris campaign last week, is far from the only Obama administration veteran to join the effort to elect VP Harris to the White House.

Stephanie Cutter, who was the Obama 2012 deputy campaign manager, was recently hired as a senior adviser for strategy messaging by the Harris campaign, which also recently brought on former Obama grassroots strategist for 2008 and 2012, Mitch Stewart, as a senior adviser for battleground states.

Then there is former Obama White House Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri, who held a similar role in former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's failed 2016 campaign, who is now serving as a senior adviser to second gentleman Doug Emhoff.

They join Democratic pollster Doug Binder, who previously ran Obama's public opinion research team, and the entire campaign is run by Jen O'Malley Dillon, who was also an Obama 2012 deputy campaign manager and was leading President Joe Biden's re-election effort until he suddenly dropped out of the race last month.

Speaking of Biden dropping out, Fox News observed that some of Obama's key allies also played significant roles in the pressure campaign that made that happen as well, including former Obama chief campaign strategist David Axelrod along with close friend and Hollywood celebrity George Clooney, as well as former speechwriters and advisers turned podcasters Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor.

More comparisons drawn between Obama 2008 and Harris 2024 campaigns

The prevalence of Obama-era Democratic operatives on the Harris campaign may help explain why, according to The Hill, comparisons are being drawn between the current electoral effort and the successful 2008 campaign that saw former President Obama win the White House.

Some of those comparisons are based, at least in part, on the initial surge of enthusiasm and excitement among Democratic voters for Harris -- though some of that may be less about Harris herself and more relief that President Biden is no longer running.

Notably, per Fox News, former President Obama, along with former first lady Michelle Obama, have fully endorsed and expressed their wholehearted support for Harris' bid for the presidency.