Pelosi to Biden: You’re dragging down Democrats
An ally of the previous House speaker has stated that she intends to do "everything in her power" to remove Biden from the Democratic ticket.
TroibNews 
Last week, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed her and other Democratic lawmakers' concerns to President Joe Biden that he’s negatively impacting the party, in an extraordinarily straightforward confrontation coinciding with increasing pressure on Biden to end his reelection bid.
Pelosi also cautioned Biden that some Democratic lawmakers might get more vocal about his political vulnerabilities, according to two individuals close to her. She recommended the president to make a timely decision about stepping down.
A Pelosi ally mentioned the possibility of her pushing Biden publicly to withdraw from the Democratic ticket.
“The speaker does not want to call on him to resign, but she will do everything in her power to make sure it happens,” this person said, referring to Biden exiting the race.
A second ally described Pelosi's approach bluntly.
“There's nothing subtle about Nancy,” this person said. “She starts with the question: ‘What's it take to win?’ Then works backwards.”
The interaction between Biden and Pelosi highlights a new and increasingly public phase in the campaign to remove Biden from the Democratic ticket. Senior Democrats had initially aimed to handle this issue privately; Pelosi had certainly advised members to maintain discretion, at least initially.
However, Biden and his inner circle have thus far been unwilling to concede. Now, they’re dealing with numerous leaks that keep the president on the defensive.
News of Pelosi’s conversation with Biden was first reported by CNN, coming shortly after ABC News revealed that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries had each told Biden, in separate discussions, that it would be best for the country if he ended his campaign.
POLITICO reported Wednesday evening that both Schumer and Jeffries had expressed to Biden their significant concerns regarding his impact on Democrats' ability to regain control of Congress.
Pelosi’s office issued a statement asserting that she had not spoken to Biden since returning to California on Friday and questioned the reliability of reports about her conversation with the president. “These sources are not good sources,” her spokesperson said.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates simply stated: “Biden is the nominee of the party… plans to win, and looks forward to working with congressional Democrats to pass his 100 days agenda to help working families.”
Lucas Dupont contributed to this report for TROIB News
Pelosi also cautioned Biden that some Democratic lawmakers might get more vocal about his political vulnerabilities, according to two individuals close to her. She recommended the president to make a timely decision about stepping down.
A Pelosi ally mentioned the possibility of her pushing Biden publicly to withdraw from the Democratic ticket.
“The speaker does not want to call on him to resign, but she will do everything in her power to make sure it happens,” this person said, referring to Biden exiting the race.
A second ally described Pelosi's approach bluntly.
“There's nothing subtle about Nancy,” this person said. “She starts with the question: ‘What's it take to win?’ Then works backwards.”
The interaction between Biden and Pelosi highlights a new and increasingly public phase in the campaign to remove Biden from the Democratic ticket. Senior Democrats had initially aimed to handle this issue privately; Pelosi had certainly advised members to maintain discretion, at least initially.
However, Biden and his inner circle have thus far been unwilling to concede. Now, they’re dealing with numerous leaks that keep the president on the defensive.
News of Pelosi’s conversation with Biden was first reported by CNN, coming shortly after ABC News revealed that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries had each told Biden, in separate discussions, that it would be best for the country if he ended his campaign.
POLITICO reported Wednesday evening that both Schumer and Jeffries had expressed to Biden their significant concerns regarding his impact on Democrats' ability to regain control of Congress.
Pelosi’s office issued a statement asserting that she had not spoken to Biden since returning to California on Friday and questioned the reliability of reports about her conversation with the president. “These sources are not good sources,” her spokesperson said.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates simply stated: “Biden is the nominee of the party… plans to win, and looks forward to working with congressional Democrats to pass his 100 days agenda to help working families.”
Lucas Dupont contributed to this report for TROIB News
