Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Wednesday Democrats are encouraging President Joe Biden to decide soon if he’ll stay in the presidential race—suggesting the president could still drop his bid despite saying repeatedly he will continue running in the wake of the June 27 debate.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is is questioned by reporters about the candidacy of President Joe ... [+]
Pelosi did not give a definitive answer when asked by MSNBC if Biden has her support to be at the top of the Democratic ticket, but said “it’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run,” adding “we’re all encouraging him to make that decision, because time is running short.”
“Whatever he decides we go with,” Pelosi said when pressed again on whether she supports Biden continuing his campaign.
Pelosi urged Democrats to “hold off” on airing their opinions about how Biden should move forward with his campaign until the end of this week’s NATO summit in Washington.
Pelosi’s statement comes as Biden has rebuffed calls for his resignation from at least nine Democratic lawmakers and told Congress in a letter Monday “it’s time for” discussions about his debate performance” to end.
Biden will hold a press conference with reporters Thursday for the first time since the debate.
- That’s the number of days until the Aug. 22 Democratic National Convention, when the party will formalize its presidential nominee.
Pelosi has repeatedly expressed uncertainty about the future of Biden’s candidacy since the debate. She called concerns about his mental faculties “legitimate” in an interview with MSNBC last week and urged both Biden and Trump to take cognitive tests.
Democrats are deeply divided on what to do about Biden amid fears within the party that he can’t beat former President Donald Trump. At least nine elected Democrats in Congress have called on him to step down in the race, while others, including chair of the influential Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Steve Horsford, D-Nev., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., have issued statements of support for Biden. The president appeared to be staving off his detractors this week as just one additional Democrat, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., has called on him to step aside, and another, Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., walked back calls he reportedly made in private for Biden to step down.
9th House Democrat Says Biden Should Drop Out: Here’s Who Has Called For Biden To End Campaign (Forbes)
Senior House Democrat Rep. Nadler Reverses Course—Now Says He Supports Biden (Forbes)
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