Former House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., publicly supports President Biden as he faces calls to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election. But in private, she is reportedly encouraging lawmakers to continue to put pressure on Biden to reconsider his decision to run for re-election, according to reports.
A number of House Democrats told The Hill that Pelosi is advising members in their conference against rallying to Biden before there is a broader discussion over whether he is the best candidate to defeat former President Trump. While she has not called on Biden to step aside, Pelosi is reportedly telling vulnerable lawmakers in swing districts to do so if they think that will help them win re-election.
"I did have a conversation with her, she is very concerned," one House Democratic lawmaker told The Hill. "It’s not like she’s like, ‘We’re sticking with this guy.'"
Lawmakers quoted in the report were granted anonymity to speak frankly about sensitive discussions in their conference.
"I've had my own conversations with her," a second Democrat reportedly said.
"It’s just an obvious concern. The stakes are so high. We can’t afford to do anything but have our best possible opportunity to win," the lawmaker said, relaying Pelosi's message to the conference, according to The Hill.
Pelosi is a longtime Biden ally. She led House Democrats for the entirety of Biden's two terms as vice president and served as House speaker for the first two years of his presidency, ushering major pieces of Biden's agenda through Congress, including the American Rescue Plan and bipartisan infrastructure law.
Even so, she likes to win. And Pelosi has repeatedly said that Trump represents an existential threat to democracy who must be defeated in November, a feat Democrats are not certain Biden can accomplish.
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The report said that Pelosi's work behind-the-scenes is a response to how the Biden campaign and White House reacted to criticisms of the president's disastrous debate performance on June 27—denying that there's a problem with Biden's age or mental acuity and stubbornly insisting that Democrats have no alternative to the status quo.
Biden maintained that position during a roughly hour-long news conference on Thursday, where he took multiple questions from reporters to allay concerns that he is too old and too mentally deficient to carry Democrats through the election and keep the White House.
"I'm determined on running," Biden declared.
"Am I getting the job done? Can you name me somebody who's got more major pieces of legislation passed in 3½ years? I created 2,000 jobs just last week," the president said. "So, if I slow down, I can't get the job done, that's a sign that I shouldn't be doing it. But there's no indication of that yet. None."
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The president on Monday sent a letter to congressional Democrats asserting that criticisms of his candidacy "only helps Trump and hurts us." But his attempts to strong-arm Democratic lawmakers have not stifled dissent. On the contrary, they appear to have emboldened those who believe Biden is not taking his critics seriously.
"Pelosi speaks for the sense that, if you’re going to circle the wagons, you need a lot more wagons in the circle," a third Democratic lawmaker told The Hill. "You have to have a real conversation with people to decide it all together. And you can’t present people with a judgment."
Pelosi's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House and the Biden campaign also did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital inquiries.
Pelosi spokesman Ian Krager told The Hill: "Speaker Pelosi fully supports whatever President Biden decides to do. We must turn our attention to why this race is so important: Donald Trump would be a disaster for our country and our democracy."
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On Wednesday, Pelosi insinuated that there is still a decision to be made on whether Biden will seek re-election, despite the president already stating on several occasions that he is staying in the race.
"It's up to the president to decide if he is going to run. We are all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short," Pelosi told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Wednesday. "He's beloved, he's respected, and people want him to make that decision."
Asked about Biden already making it clear he intends to run, Pelosi again suggested that there is a still a decision to be made.
"I want him to do whatever he decides to do, and that's the way it is. Whatever he decides, we go with," Pelosi said.
Regardless of whatever private discussions that may be happening, Pelosi publicly contradicted the president and opened the door for other Democrats to do the same. At least 17 Democratic lawmakers have now openly called on Biden to step aside from the nomination. The discussion is far from over, and Biden's future is uncertain.
Fox News Digital's Aubry Spady and Emma Colton contributed to this report.
