Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) expressed her reservations about President Biden’s “political operation” during a podcast interview released Thursday, stating she has “never been that impressed.”
In her conversation with The New Yorker’s David Remnick on “The New Yorker Radio Hour,” Pelosi discussed her doubts about Biden’s political team, despite their success in securing the presidency.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi critiques Biden’s team, maintains support for Harris as she leads the Democratic ticket
Her comments were prompted by Remnick’s reference to her appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” where she seemed to lack confidence in Biden’s ability to remain in the race. At the time, this was seen as a pivotal moment, as Biden was trying to convince the Democratic Party to back him for another term.
“They won the White House. Great,” Pelosi commented. “But I was concerned that this approach wasn’t sustainable, and we needed to figure out how to move forward. The President needed to make that decision.”
These remarks followed reports from The Hill suggesting that Pelosi, behind closed doors, had urged Biden to step down from the 2024 race—a decision he eventually made. However, Pelosi clarified that she didn’t directly campaign among fellow Democrats to push Biden out.
“I never made any calls to sway anyone. I kept my word that any conversation would be between me and him. Claims that I was discussing this with [Senate Majority Leader] Chuck [Schumer] were untrue,” Pelosi clarified.
She stressed the need to prevent former President Trump, the Republican nominee, from regaining the presidency. Now, with Vice President Harris leading the Democratic ticket, Pelosi has shown her support.
Earlier in the week, Pelosi revealed she hasn’t spoken to Biden since his withdrawal from the race in July, though she intends to. With Harris gaining momentum, she announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) as her vice presidential pick, whom Pelosi has praised as “wonderful.”
