Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has admitted that she has not spoken to President Joe Biden for months, confirming suspicions about their communication breakdown since Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race. This revelation comes amidst ongoing rumors that Pelosi played a significant role in pushing Biden out of the race, prompting widespread speculation about the internal dynamics of the Democratic Party.
Pelosi, a prominent figure in Democratic politics for decades, addressed the matter during an interview on The Guardian’s Politics Weekly America podcast. She acknowledged that her communication with Biden has been nonexistent since he withdrew from the race, despite their long-standing relationship.
During the interview, Pelosi was asked directly whether she had spoken to President Biden since his decision to step away from the 2024 race. Her response was both brief and revealing: “Not since then, no,” she said. Pelosi, who had been a close ally of Biden throughout his presidency, added that she remained “prayerful” about the situation.
While Pelosi avoided giving specific details about any discussions leading up to Biden’s exit, her acknowledgment of their lack of contact has fueled further speculation about her role in his decision. For weeks, rumors swirled that Pelosi was one of the key figures who persuaded Biden to step aside, believing that he would not be able to defeat former President Donald Trump in a rematch.
Despite widespread reports of her influence, Pelosi has downplayed her role in Biden’s decision. She expressed respect for the president, describing him as one of the “great consequential presidents of our country” and emphasizing the importance of preserving his legacy. According to Pelosi, she believed Biden’s legacy would be jeopardized if he continued on the path he was on in the election.
“I think his legacy had to be protected. I didn’t see that happening in the course that it was on, the election was on,” Pelosi explained during the interview. However, she stopped short of confirming whether she actively encouraged Biden to step aside, maintaining that her role was more of a supportive one than a driving force behind his ouster.
While Pelosi has been careful not to overstate her involvement, earlier reports suggest that she was more active in Biden’s departure than she now admits. According to The New York Post, Pelosi reportedly warned Biden that if he did not step down from the 2024 race, she would publicly express her belief that he could not win against Trump in the general election.
The warning allegedly came after Biden’s underwhelming performance in a June 27 debate, which further fueled concerns within the Democratic Party about his electability. Pelosi reportedly offered to release internal polling data that demonstrated Biden’s weakened standing with voters, which would have created additional pressure for him to leave the race. Ultimately, Biden made the decision to withdraw, though the exact details of the discussions behind the scenes remain murky.
Initially, Pelosi denied being directly involved in orchestrating Biden’s departure. However, in subsequent interviews, she admitted that many Democrats had reached out to her during that time, expressing their concerns about Biden’s chances in the 2024 election. Pelosi acknowledged that she had spoken to Biden, but characterized the conversation as one aimed at guiding the president onto “a better course.”
“My call was just to: ‘Let’s get on a better course. He will make the decision as to what that is.’ And he made that decision,” Pelosi said. She also revealed that Biden appeared uneasy about the situation, given their long-standing friendship and political alliance over the years.
Pelosi and Biden have been political allies for decades, working closely together during Biden’s presidency and throughout his time in the Senate. However, Pelosi’s recent admissions suggest that their relationship may have been strained by the events leading up to his departure from the race.
While Pelosi continues to publicly praise Biden’s accomplishments as president, her lack of communication with him in the months following his exit raises questions about the state of their political partnership. Whether their relationship will recover in time for the upcoming election cycle remains uncertain, but for now, Pelosi appears to be distancing herself from any suggestion that she actively pushed Biden out of the race.
As the Democratic Party prepares for a heated 2024 election, Pelosi’s role in Biden’s ouster will likely continue to be a topic of discussion. Her efforts to steer the party in a different direction, combined with Biden’s departure, have set the stage for a highly competitive race, with new candidates stepping into the spotlight.
Whether or not the full story of Pelosi’s involvement ever comes to light, her admission that she has not spoken to Biden in months provides a glimpse into the complex and often secretive world of political maneuvering. As the November election draws closer, Democrats will be watching closely to see how the party navigates these internal dynamics and whether Pelosi’s vision for the future will align with the eventual nominee’s strategy for victory.
For now, Pelosi seems content to let history unfold, focusing on preserving Biden’s legacy while guiding the Democratic Party into the next chapter of its political journey.
