“If you’re watching the campaign now, some of Obama’s [key people such as] David Plouffe and others are now working on the campaign,” McCarthy said, reported Daily Mail.“You’re getting the Obamas shifting from running the White House to now running this campaign.”
McCarthy’s remarks have sparked a wave of speculation, especially as Obama’s former top advisers have indeed taken on significant roles within Harris’ team.
As per reports, Eric Holder, Obama’s former attorney general, was involved in the vetting process for Harris’ vice-presidential running mate selection. Additionally, Harris has brought on David Plouffe, who managed Obama’s 2008 campaign and later served as one of his top White House advisers, as a senior campaign aide.
The inclusion of seasoned Democratic operatives doesn’t stop there. Stephanie Cutter, who served as deputy campaign manager for Obama’s 2012 re-election, has been tapped as a senior advisor for strategy messaging. Jim Margolis, an ad-maker for Obama, is also expected to join Harris’ campaign, having worked on her 2020 presidential bid.
Harris’ team also includes Jennifer Palmieri, a veteran Democratic adviser who served as White House communications director under Obama and later managed communications for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Reportedly, Palmieri now advises Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff. Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, who is chairing Harris’ 2024 campaign, also brings experience from Obama and Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign.
Despite these connections, a former top adviser to Obama dismissed the notion that he is directly running Harris’ campaign. The adviser noted that it is common for experienced Democratic campaign strategists to work across multiple presidential campaigns. “President Obama will get involved if Harris asks him to,” the source said.
During his interview with host John Catsimatidis, McCarthy criticized Harris as a “San Francisco liberal” and took aim at her choice of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. “This is by far … the most liberal ticket in the history of American politics,” McCarthy stated, adding that the ticket’s policies could be damaging on a national scale.
McCarthy also questioned the decision to pass over Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, as the vice-presidential pick. He argued that the 2024 election will hinge on key states like Pennsylvania and Georgia, and suggested that Harris’ choice might alienate important voter blocs. “Why would [Harris] skip Shapiro in picking a VP? Is she not going to stand up to her own party when they want to attack Israel?” he questioned, referencing Harris’ absence during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress.
The former House Speaker also criticized Harris for her tie-breaking vote in the Senate that helped pass President Biden’s pandemic-related stimulus bills, a move he blamed for the current inflation crisis. “She gave the deciding vote that brought us inflation,” McCarthy charged. “We’ve watched these families struggle at the grocery store, at the gas station. There’s nothing left for them.”
