Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have reportedly told President Joe Biden that his continued pursuit of a second term could jeopardize the Democrats' chances of retaining the House in November.
Pelosi, citing polling data, told Biden that he may struggle to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election, according to four sources who spoke to CNN.
Adding to the growing pressure, Schumer also reportedly told Biden in a Saturday meeting that it would be better for both the country and the Democratic Party if he ended his reelection campaign, according to ABC News.
However, Schumer's office issued a statement dismissing the report about his meeting with Biden as "idle speculation," confirming that Schumer had conveyed the views of his caucus directly to the president.
During the conversation with Pelosi, Biden pushed back against her concerns, citing his own polls that show a path to victory.
One source described Biden as becoming defensive about the polling data. Pelosi then involved Biden's longtime adviser, Mike Donilon, to discuss the data further.
This is reported to be the second such discussion between Pelosi and Biden since his poor performance in the June 27 debate.
While the exact date of the recent conversation remains unclear, it is believed to have occurred within the last week. The two also spoke in early July.
There is no indication from the sources that Pelosi explicitly urged Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race during this call.
However, Pelosi has been engaging with her colleagues' concerns following the debate, and in an interview last week, she highlighted the urgency for Biden to make a decision about his candidacy.
When CNN asked White House spokesperson Andrew Bates for comment, he did not address the specifics of the Pelosi-Biden call but reiterated Biden's intent to run and win, and his commitment to working with congressional Democrats on his 100 days agenda.
A spokesperson for Pelosi confirmed she has been in California since Friday and has not spoken to Biden since then.
U.S. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has also reportedly communicated similar views to Biden.
Earlier on Wednesday, Democratic Representative Adam Schiff became the 20th congressional Democrat to publicly call for Biden to step aside.
Despite the mounting calls for him to reconsider, Biden has consistently rejected suggestions to drop out of the race.
