Joe Biden Exits Presidential Race
Biden shocked Americans around the country on Sunday when he released a letter on his social media accounts declaring that he had exited the presidential race and would no longer be running for reelection.
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Biden’s decision to step down comes after various Democratic lawmakers and mega-donors asked him to exit, as they felt he wasn’t going to beat former President Donald Trump.
Biden Endorses Harris
These Democrats called for Biden to exit after his poor performance in a debate against Trump, which caused many to question his mental acuity.
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After posting his decision to step down, the president also posted on X that he was endorsing his Vice President, Kamala Harris, to take his place.
Pelosi’s Role in Biden’s Exit
Now, new reporting has suggested that Pelosi was, in many ways, the mastermind behind convincing Biden to actually step down.
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For weeks now, Biden has stood strong against the many Democrats who have asked him to exit the race. He has stated that he would stay in the race — and eventually beat Trump in November. However, this past weekend brought about a sudden change in the president.
Pelosi Encouraged Biden
Pelosi reportedly encouraged Biden to step down over these past few weeks. She also worked as a sounding board for many Democratic lawmakers who wanted Biden to exit.
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Many analysts have even suggested that Pelosi had her hand in many public declarations targeted toward Biden. For example, Rep. Adam Schiff’s call for Biden to exit the race seemed to have Pelosi’s quiet approval.
Pelosi’s Public Comments on Biden
The former House Speaker was one of the first Democrats to publicly voice concern about Biden’s campaign — and whether or not he could beat Trump.
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However, Pelosi never outright called on Biden to step down, and often remained somewhat supportive of him in public. Behind the scenes, analysts claim she worked to convince Biden to exit the race.
A Behind-the-Scenes Strategist
Marc Sandalow, the author of the Pelosi biography “Madam Speaker”, explained that this is how Pelosi operates.
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He said, “She is very much a behind-the-scenes vote-counting tactician. That’s what she’s good at. She knows how to win.”
The History Between Biden and Pelosi
Biden and Pelosi have always been friendly, and have always worked well together. As a result, some may see Pelosi’s work to get Biden to step down as a shock.
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Sandalow explained, “By all accounts, she has great affection for Joe Biden. But for her, it’s all about winning.”
A Cold-Blooded Politician?
Many have called Pelosi cold-blooded over the years. The former House Speaker herself has even insinuated as much, explaining that she does whatever she can to win an election.
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When speaking with CNN’s Anderson Cooper in 2023, she said, “I’m more reptilian. Cold-blooded. To win the election.”
Pelosi Warned Biden
Reporting has also claimed that Pelosi warned Biden that things would eventually become more difficult for him in the weeks ahead if he didn’t step down.
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“Nancy made clear that they could do this the easy way or the hard way,” one anonymous source told Politico. “She gave them three weeks of the easy way. It was about to be the hard way.”
An Endorsement of Kamala Harris
After Biden stepped out of the race and endorsed Harris, many people were surprised that Pelosi didn’t immediately endorse the Vice President as well.
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However, by Monday, Pelosi had finally released her own endorsement of Harris, explaining she was supporting Harris in “official, personal and political” ways.
Pelosi Praises Biden and Harris
Pelosi also took the time on Sunday to praise Biden for being “a patriotic American who has always put our country first. His legacy of vision, values and leadership make him one of the most consequential Presidents in American history….God blessed America with Joe Biden’s greatness and goodness.”
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On Monday, when announcing her endorsement for Harris, Pelosi mentioned how politically Harris was the right choice, saying, “Politically, make no mistake: Kamala Harris as a woman in politics is brilliantly astute – and I have full confidence that she will lead us to victory in November.”