Pelosi offers vague answer when pressed about Biden continuing his campaign: 'I want him to do whatever he decides to do'

• Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday said it's up to Biden to decide if he'll continue his reelection bid.
• But the former speaker seemingly didn't give a definitive endorsement of him staying in the race.
• "I want him to do whatever he decides to do. And that's the way it is," she said on MSNBC.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday said it's up to President Joe Biden to decide whether he'll proceed with his reelection bid, but added that "time in running short" for the Democratic incumbent.

While speaking on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Pelosi — known for her blunt and straightforward nature — seemingly declined to give a firm endorsement of Biden continuing with his campaign.

"It's up to the president to decide if he is going to run," she said on the program. "We're all encouraging him to to make that decision. Because time is running short."

She added: "I want him to do whatever he decides to do. And that's the way it is. Whatever he decides, we go with."

Pelosi has long been a major political ally of Biden, helping shepherd key pieces of legislation like the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the Inflation Reduction Act through Congress earlier in his term.

But Biden's post-debate standing represents one of the most difficult periods of his political career, as many Democrats remain dismayed by his performance against former President Donald Trump.

While several House Democrats have called on Biden to step aside as the party's nominee, no sitting Democratic senator has publicly asked him to do so. But several allies — from Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota to Jon Tester of Montana — have called on Biden to demonstrate to the electorate that he'd be able to effectively wage campaign.

After days of Democratic unrest, Biden earlier this week emphatically insisted that he wouldn't end his campaign.

But during the MSNBC interview, Pelosi said that she wanted to circle back to discussions about Biden's candidacy after the NATO summit being held in Washington. As Biden hosts world leaders in the nation's capital over the next several days, other Democratic leaders will also be closely watching to see how he performs on such a highly visible stage.

"Let's just hold off," she said. "Whatever you're thinking, either tell somebody privately, but you don't have to put that out on the table until we see how we go this week."