Narrator: In May 2013, at a quiet French bistro in Chappaqua, New York, Hillary Clinton met with six of her oldest friends from Wellesley College. With the pressure of being Secretary of State behind her, she spoke with startling candor about the man who had defeated her in 2008, President Barack Obama. She described him as "incompetent and feckless," a man who had turned into a "joke." The problem, she explained, was that Obama couldn't be bothered to lead. "There is no hand on the fucking tiller," she said, revealing a deep-seated resentment. This wasn't just political disagreement; it was personal. She felt the Obamas had treated her and Bill shabbily from the start, breaking a secret deal that was supposed to clear her path to the presidency in 2016.

This explosive scene opens a window into a hidden war between two of the most powerful dynasties in modern American politics. In his book, Blood Feud: The Clintons vs. The Obamas, author Edward Klein pulls back the curtain on this bitter rivalry, arguing that behind the public smiles and party unity lay a foundation of distrust, broken promises, and a relentless struggle for power that shaped the Democratic Party and the nation itself.

Narrator: The core of the conflict, as Klein presents it, was a deep and personal animosity that began long before the public was aware of it. The 2008 primary was not just a political contest but a clash of personalities and political brands that left lasting scars. Hillary Clinton, in particular, harbored a profound resentment. She believed a deal had been struck: she would serve as Secretary of State and support Obama’s reelection, and in return, he would support her bid for the presidency in 2016.

The book illustrates this with the story of Hillary’s 2013 lunch with her Wellesley classmates. Over wine and mussels, she vented her frustrations, telling her friends, "I’m not sure what Bill and I expected from the Obamas, but there was bad blood between us from the start." She didn't just criticize Obama's policies; she attacked his competence, contrasting his "feckless" leadership with Bill's natural executive skill. Her anger was palpable when she spoke of the broken deal, stating, "And you can’t trust the motherfucker. Obama has treated Bill and me incredibly shabbily. And we’re angry." This wasn't just a political calculation; it was a feeling of personal betrayal that would fuel the Clintons' actions for years to come.

Narrator: By 2012, President Obama’s reelection prospects looked grim. His poll numbers were declining, and his advisors were deeply worried. According to Klein, this desperation forced the Obama camp to turn to the one person they deeply distrusted but desperately needed: Bill Clinton. The book details the intense internal debate within the White House. Obama’s closest advisor, Valerie Jarrett, fiercely opposed the idea, viewing the Clintons as untrustworthy opportunists who would try to steal the spotlight. She favored bringing in Oprah Winfrey instead. However, pragmatic campaign manager David Plouffe argued that Bill Clinton was the only one who could energize the white, working-class voters Obama was losing.

The tension culminated in a high-stakes golf game between Obama and Bill Clinton. The meeting was shrouded in secrecy and mutual suspicion. Clinton, for his part, felt disrespected and planned to exploit the situation to restore his own image and pave the way for Hillary. Obama, needing a win, reluctantly agreed to the meeting. Klein portrays this as a tense negotiation between two rivals, each with a premonition of betrayal. In the end, a deal was struck. Bill would campaign enthusiastically for Obama. In return, the Clintons believed, Obama would owe them his full support for Hillary in 2016. Bill returned home triumphant, telling Hillary they had secured the deal that would put them back in the White House.

Narrator: Bill Clinton delivered on his promise in spectacular fashion. His speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention is presented as a masterpiece of political persuasion. Ignoring the teleprompter, Clinton improvised a charismatic, folksy defense of Obama, reframing the president as a centrist and captivating the audience. The media hailed him as the man who saved Obama’s campaign. The Clintons had paid their dues, and now they expected the payoff.

However, according to Klein, the betrayal came swiftly. Just days after the convention, the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, was attacked. The book alleges that the Obama administration, in the heat of an election, made a calculated decision to deceive the American public. It claims that despite knowing it was a coordinated terrorist attack, Obama ordered Hillary, as Secretary of State, to promote a false narrative that the attack was a spontaneous protest sparked by an anti-Muslim internet video. Hillary, seeing it as a direct order, became what the book calls an "eager collaborator" in the deception. This act, Klein argues, was the ultimate betrayal. The Clintons felt they had been used to win the election, only to be implicated in a cover-up that would tarnish Hillary’s reputation and threaten her future presidential ambitions.

Narrator: The Benghazi deception shattered any remaining trust and ignited an all-out "blood feud." Bill Clinton, furious at the perceived betrayal, retreated to Little Rock to plot his revenge. He was determined to make Obama pay and ensure Hillary’s path to the presidency was cleared, with or without the president’s help. The book details how the Clintons began to systematically undermine Obama’s influence within the Democratic Party.

A key story illustrates this power play. In early 2014, Obama called Hillary to complain that Bill was "poaching" his top campaign operatives, including his 2012 campaign manager, Jim Messina. Obama pleaded, "Can’t you rein in Bill? I don’t want to lose these folks." Hillary’s reported response was cold and dismissive: "Are you serious? I can’t rein Bill in. Never have, never will." The Clintons were building their own machine, making Obama irrelevant within his own party. This feud was intensified by Bill’s failing health. Klein describes a man racing against time, obsessed with seeing Hillary in the White House before he died. He even went so far as to strategize his own funeral, telling Hillary to "wear your widow’s weeds" and use the public sympathy to her advantage in the campaign. This was no longer just politics; it was a legacy-driven, all-or-nothing war for control.

Narrator: The single most important takeaway from Blood Feud is that the highest levels of American politics are often driven not by ideology or public service, but by deeply personal rivalries, perceived slights, and an unquenchable thirst for power and legacy. Edward Klein argues that the conflict between the Clintons and the Obamas was not a sideshow but a central, defining feature of the Democratic Party for nearly a decade, creating fractures and resentments that had profound consequences for the country.

The book challenges us to look beyond the polished facade of political unity and consider the human drama playing out behind the scenes. It leaves us with a critical question: How much of our political reality is shaped by these hidden feuds? And as these powerful figures vied for control, positioning themselves for the next chapter of their dynasties, who was truly keeping their hand on the tiller of the nation?