(TheRedWire.com) – In a confidential conversation last week, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly expressed concerns to President Joe Biden about his continued participation in the presidential race, suggesting it might jeopardize the Democrats’ chances of securing the House this fall. According to CNN, which cited four sources familiar with the discussion, Pelosi and Biden have spoken twice since his June 27 debate with former President Donald Trump.
During the call, the exact timing of which was not specified, Pelosi relayed worries from other lawmakers and questioned Biden’s polling strength against Trump. Although it was not explicitly stated whether Pelosi advised Biden to withdraw from the race, she has been actively gauging the mood and concerns of her colleagues in recent weeks. A Pelosi ally hinted to Politico that while she has not called for Biden to publicly withdraw, she is prepared to use her influence to ensure it happens.
Pelosi herself has remained non-committal publicly, stating last week that the decision to run remains Biden’s to make, but emphasized the urgency of deciding soon due to the narrowing window before the election.
Meanwhile, a White House spokesperson, Andrew Bates, declined to comment directly on the Pelosi-Biden call but affirmed Biden’s intention to remain in the race as the Democratic nominee, expressing confidence in his campaign and his plans to collaborate with congressional Democrats on his policy agenda.
A spokesperson for Pelosi clarified that since last Friday, Pelosi has been in California and had not communicated with Biden. This statement came in the wake of reports by ABC News that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries had also expressed to Biden that his withdrawal from the race would be in the best interest of the country, and echoed concerns about the Democrats’ prospects in the upcoming congressional elections.
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