Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned President Joe Biden last week of polling showing the President cannot defeat Donald Trump in the 2024 election, fearing him staying in the race will cost Democrats a chance at winning the House, according to reports.
CNN reported Wednesday that Pelosi had a phone call with Biden last week, where she told him she and other Democratic lawmakers worry that he is dragging the party down due to fears that he is too old to continue for a second term in office, citing polling data.
Biden reportedly got defensive about the polls, much like he has done in public when pressed about polling data from the press corps. Pelosi responded and asked Mike Donilon, Biden’s longtime adviser, to get on the line to talk over the data.
Pelosi did not exactly support Biden during an interview on MSNBC a few weeks ago, citing it is up to the President to decide.
It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run. We’re all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short,” she said.
“The speaker does not want to call on him to resign, but she will do everything in her power to make sure it happens,” a Pelosi aide told POLITICO.
The White House responded by saying Biden will continue on the ticket but declined to address the phone call.
“President Biden is the nominee of the party. He plans to win and looks forward to working with congressional Democrats to pass his 100 days agenda to help working families,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement.
The news comes just hours after ABC News reported both Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries both expressed concern about Biden remaining atop the ticket.
Rep. Adam Schiff, the leading candidate for California’s Senate seat, called on Biden on Wednesday to “pass the torch” and end his bid for re-election.
“Joe Biden has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nation’s history, and his lifetime of service as a Senator, a Vice President, and now as President has made our country better,” Schiff said in a statement.
“But our nation is at a crossroads,” he added. “A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November.”
