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Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told President Joe Biden last week that she and other Democratic lawmakers worry that he’s dragging down the party, in an extraordinarily candid confrontation that came amid mounting pressure on Biden to end his reelection campaign.
Pelosi also warned Biden that some Democratic lawmakers would start to grow louder in their griping about his political weaknesses, according to two people close to Pelosi. She urged the president to make a decision about stepping down soon.
One Pelosi ally said it was possible she would press Biden publicly to give up his spot atop the Democratic ticket.
“The speaker does not want to call on him to resign, but she will do everything in her power to make sure it happens,” this person said, referring to Biden quitting the race.
A second Pelosi ally put her calculus in blunt terms.
“There’s nothing subtle about Nancy,” this person said. “She starts with the question: ‘What’s it take to win?’ Then works backwards.”
The exchange between Biden and Pelosi underscores a new and increasingly public phase of the push to remove Biden from the Democratic ticket. Senior Democrats had hoped to address this matter privately — Pelosi, herself, certainly advised members to try to do so, at least for a time.
So far, Biden and his inner circle have refused to yield. Now, they’re facing leaks left and right that keep the president on the defensive.
News of Pelosi’s conversation with Biden was first reported by CNN. It emerged hours after ABC News reported that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told Biden, in two separate conversations, that it would be best for the country for him to end his campaign.
POLITICO reported Wednesday evening that both Schumer and Jeffries had conveyed to Biden that they were deeply concerned about his effect on Democrats’ ability to win control of Congress.
Pelosi’s office in a statement said she had not spoken to Biden since returning to California on Friday — and questioned the reporting about her conversation with the president. “These sources are not good sources,” her spokesperson said.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates merely said: “Biden is the nominee of the party… plans to win, and looks forward to working with congressional Democrats to pass his 100 days agenda to help working families.”
