Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday that while she never shared concerns about President Joe Biden himself, she did have a “concern” about his campaign before the president dropped out of the 2024 race.
The California Congresswoman was asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention Monday night if there was any “residual bad blood or resentment” since Biden stepped aside as the Democratic nominee in July.
“I have to do what I have to do,” Pelosi said. “He made the decision for the country. My concern was not about the president; it was about his campaign.”
Pelosi also noted “the exuberance” and “the excitement that has come forth in our country” since Biden dropped out of the race and subsequently endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place at the top of the ticket for Democrats.
Unlike several of her close allies in Congress, Pelosi never publicly called for Biden to withdraw from the race following his rocky debate with former President Donald Trump. But several reports have circulated that the 84-year-old Democratic leader privately pushed the president to suspend his reelection campaign—sources told the Associated Press in the days leading up to Biden dropping out that Pelosi had warned the president his candidacy could hurt Democrats up and down the ballot in November.
It was also reported that Biden was “irritated” with some of his long-time allies behind closed doors for putting pressure on him to end his reelection bid. The New York Times reported two days before Biden dropped out that the president was specifically upset with Pelosi and his ex-running mate, former President Barack Obama.
Newsweek reached out to the White House’s press office Monday evening via email for comment.
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Pelosi said earlier this month that she had not spoken with the president since he suspended his reelection bid. The questions from Tapper on Monday were focused on a comment from longtime Biden advisor Anita Dunn earlier in the day, who told CNN during an interview before night one of the DNC starting, “Nobody wants to have a fight with Nancy Pelosi at this time because we are a united party.”
Dunn was asked by CNN’s Dana Bush during the interview if she expects Biden and Pelosi to “make amends soon.” The Biden official responded, “You know, I left the White House a few weeks ago, so I don’t know the facts here.”
“What I would say is that President Biden is firmly focused on what he needs to get done between now and Election Day to continue pushing forward his agenda,” she continued. “And then, to make sure that Kamala Harris gets elected. And that’s what he’s thinking about.”
Pelosi has been an ally of Biden since he entered Congress as a Senator for Delaware in the 1970s. In a statement on the day that the president dropped out of the 2024 race, Pelosi praised Biden’s “greatness and goodness,” and that he has always believed “in the promise of America and giving people the opportunity to reach their fulfillment.”
Update 08/19/24, 11:43 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and background.
