Pelosi admits Biden campaign wasn't on 'path to victory,' denies she pressed him to leave race
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi admitted to a group of reporters during a recent interview that President Biden didn't have a "path to victory."
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke to a group of reporters about what led to President Biden dropping out of the race, admitting that the president did not have a "path to victory."
"Now I was really asking for a better campaign. We did not have a campaign that was on the path to victory. Members knew that in their districts," Pelosi told reporters, according to the Washington Post.
Pelosi and other top Democrats reportedly called on Biden in private to drop out of the race after the president's poor debate performance against Donald Trump in June. Pelosi and other Democratic leaders cited polls showing Biden would lose to Trump and also hurt Democrats' chances down the ballot.
"I won’t answer that question," she told reporters who asked if she ever explicitly told the president he should bow out.
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Pelosi said she had expressed prior to the June debate that Biden shouldn't have participated because Trump would turn the event into "doggy doo."
She told reporters that Biden said he was confident and wanted to go onstage. Pelosi also said she was surprised by Biden's debate performance.
"I mean, I was shocked the night of the debate, I was shocked. Because I never saw that," she said. "And everybody said: Well, you must have seen that — well, no, I didn’t see it.
Pelosi also spoke to "The New Yorker" and revealed that she wasn't impressed with Biden's team.
"I’ve never been that impressed with his political operation," she admitted. "They won the White House. Bravo. But my concern was: this ain’t happening, and we have to make a decision for this to happen. The president has to make the decision for that to happen. People were calling. I never called one person."
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The former House speaker suggested the political chaos that unfolded in July has taken a toll on her and Biden's friendship.
"So we are friends for a very long time. I love him so much. We pray together. I cry over it, I lose sleep over it and the rest, but that’s what evolved," Pelosi said.
Pelosi also spoke to CNN recently about her relationship with the president and said the two haven't spoken since he announced he was dropping out.
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"Have you spoken to President Biden since he dropped out?" anchor Dana Bash asked.
"No," Pelosi replied. "No, I have not."
"Do you hope to?" Bash followed up. When Pelosi answered she indeed does, the host asked further, "Is everything OK with your relationship?"
"You’d have to ask him," Pelosi answered. "But I hope so."