Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden go way back. But the former House Speaker has apparently not had any communication with the president since he dropped out of his re-election campaign—which she allegedly pressured him to do.
On August 5, just two weeks after the president suspended his campaign, the California Democrat revealed that she has yet to speak to Biden since his historic announcement. She acknowledged in an interview that “we’re all busy” but added that she “hope[s]” that her relationship with Biden remains steadfast.
The drama between the two long-time friends has come to its head in recent weeks, though it has reportedly been growing for some time. Pelosi is widely believed to have pressured Biden to step down from the 2024 presidential race—an accepted reality that she has denied. She maintains that she never called on other lawmakers to back her viewpoint or publicly demand that the president drop out.
She said that her “hundreds of allies” in the legislative branch are “formidable figures” who “make their own judgment[s]” about matters such as the commander-in-chief’s standing as a presidential candidate. And while Pelosi encouraged him to rescind his bid behind the scenes, she continues to speak positively about Biden.
Her recent interview appearance featured her recalling how she has “loved” the president for more than four decades, adding her belief that he has paid “one of the biggest contributions” to America over the “shortest” time period of “any president” that came before him.
Despite Pelosi’s positive words about the president, Biden was reportedly “seething” at her following his announcement to drop out of the November 2024 election. The president broke the news on Sunday July 21, telling the country that serving in the White House has been “the greatest honor.”
He added that his decision was made in light of his conviction that it was “the best” thing to do for America and the Democratic party. Biden also endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place. She has since been officially nominated. The sudden switch in candidates sparked drama among the party, which grew divided at the thought of both nominee options.
Biden’s disapproval rating came to a peak after his debate with GOP nominee Donald Trump on June 27, when the president showed concerning signs of cognitive decline. Although the commander-in-chief has long been called upon by Republicans to step down from office, some Democratic lawmakers joined the effort by publicly sharing their concerns that Biden could not adequately fulfill his role.
But now that the media has jumped on the opportunity to report that Pelosi and Biden are in a feud, the former House Speaker has defended herself and claimed that she was not, in fact, in favor of the president stepping down. Rather, she was in favor of “a [Democratic] campaign that would win.”
Pelosi added that she did not see that as a possibility when Biden was heading the campaign. She also said that the president was “the only person” with whom she spoke about her concerns, adding she “rarely” called people back to discuss other “views” about it and never “initiated one.”
