The former House Speaker reportedly played a key role in pushing Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 race<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi played an instrumental role in pressuring President Joe Biden out of the 2024 race, warning him of the consequences of continuing his campaign, NBC reported on Monday, citing sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After weeks of speculation and mounting pressure from within his own party, Biden announced on Sunday that he will not stand for re-election and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to become Democratic Party nominee for the November election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to NBC\u2019s sources, Pelosi was a key player in \u201cdelicately nudging\u201d Biden to drop out. While Pelosi did not publicly call on Biden to quit, she \u201cworked quietly and methodically\u201d behind the scenes, the sources said. Pelosi reportedly spoke to scores of rank-and-file lawmakers and urged them to \u201cspeak their conscience\u201d on Biden\u2019s candidacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three sources told the outlet that any time the issue of Biden dropping out of the race began to lose momentum, Pelosi was the one \u201cfanning the flames\u201d to reignite it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think Pelosi continues to show she\u2019s a master political tactician,\u201d one House Democratic leadership aide was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Friday, more than a dozen congressional Democrats joined the growing chorus of lawmakers calling on Biden to step aside as the party\u2019s nominee over concerns of his mental and physical state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat groundswell on Friday of members calling for him (Biden) to step down was all Nancy\u2019s doing,\u201d another Democrat who spoke with Pelosi last week told NBC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Asked how responsible Pelosi was for Biden\u2019s decision to quit, one Democratic lawmaker said \u201c50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One Democratic source said former speaker Pelosi was considered \u201cpolitically still our leader\u201d and predicted that \u201cshe and she alone can ensure Kamala\u2019s success.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the report, on Saturday \u2013 the day before Biden\u2019s withdrawal announcement \u2013 Pelosi warned him in a private phone call that if he stayed in the race, he could lose so badly to Republican Donald Trump that it could cost them control of both the House and the Senate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to CNN, Pelosi and Harris spoke on Sunday after Joe Biden quit the race. Pelosi endorsed Harris on Monday, calling her \u201cbrilliantly astute\u201d and saying she has \u201cfull confidence that she will lead us to victory in November.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n