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Nancy Pelosi has claimed that she “did not call one person” in the weeks before President Joe Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential race - despite widespread reports that the powerful Democrat had been key in his decision to step down.
The former House Speaker, who stepped down as leader of the Democratic caucus in 2023, downplayed her role during an interview with CBS Sunday Morning on August 4.
“It’s said that he’s furious with you,” anchor Lesley Stahl commented. Pelosi did not directly deny it, instead responding: “He knows I love him very much.”
“I understand that you don’t want to own this,” Stahl continued. “It’s been very well-reported that you were the leader of a pressure campaign [to convince Biden to step aside].”
“I did not call one person.” Speaker Nancy Pelosi talks with Lesley Stahl about her role in President Joe Biden's decision to drop out of the presidential race. https://t.co/BtvgDUKdYf pic.twitter.com/cnJ8ywR5sU
— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) August 3, 2024
“No, I wasn’t the leader of any pressure [campaign],” Pelosi responded. “Let me say things that I didn’t do: I didn’t call one person. I did not call one person. I could always say to him: ’I did not call anybody.’”
Biden announced in late July that he was exiting the Democratic ticket and backed his vice president Kamala Harris to take over. The stunning decision came after weeks of escalating calls from members of his own party for him to do so, following a disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump in late June.
Reports of behind-the-scenes conversations have pointed the finger at both Pelosi and former president Barack Obama as some of those behind the effort. Obama’s position was never made clear in public interviews but many of his former White House and campaign aides publicly signed on to the pressure campaign.
Axios reported that Pelosi had been listening to concerns from frustrated House Democrats in July who were growing increasingly fearful of their electoral prospects if Biden remained the candidate.
On Sunday, Pelosi did not deny that she had been supportive of the effort to convince Biden to step aside. In July, she told MSNBC that she wanted Biden to make the “right decision” after he had publicly affirmed his committment to stay in the race.
Despite resigning as House Democratic leader, Pelosi remains hugely influential in the party. She retains a strong network of alliances dating back to her time as leader including Adam Schiff - current Democratic nominee for Senate in California - and Katherine Clark, the House Democratic Whip. She also has a close relationship with Hakeem Jeffries, her successor as caucus leader.
