Jill Biden takes shots at Nancy Pelosi for stabbing Joe in the back: 'We were friends for 50 years'

WASHINGTON, DC: When politics gets personal, friendships can shatter—and that’s exactly what seems to have happened between First Lady Jill Biden and her longtime friend, Nancy Pelosi.

After decades of camaraderie, the two political powerhouses are now on frosty terms, with Jill revealing her "disappointment" in Pelosi’s behind-the-scenes maneuvering to push President Joe Biden out of the 2024 White House race.

Jill Biden admits being 'disappointed' with Nancy Pelosi

Jill Biden opened up about her feelings during an emotional exit interview, sharing how her relationship with Nancy Pelosi has taken a hit.

Reflecting on the events surrounding her husband’s withdrawal from the race, she admitted to The Washington Post, "Let’s just say I was disappointed with how it unfolded. I learned a lot about human nature."

Jill didn’t name Pelosi outright at first, but she couldn’t hold back when asked about the former House Speaker directly. "It's been on my mind a lot lately, and... we were friends for 50 years. It was disappointing," she said. 

Longtime Biden family friend Mary Doody agreed, telling The Post, "It was awful. It was mean. It was disrespectful. [Jill] talked a lot about that. I know I’m biased, but Joe Biden did not deserve that."

Nancy Pelosi's apparent role in Joe Biden's withdrawal from the 2024 race

Nancy Pelosi, often regarded as a Democratic kingmaker, has faced intense backlash for her apparent role in pushing Joe Biden to abandon his 2024 race.

After his rocky debate performance in June—where he reportedly "stared into space" and fumbled responses—Democrats grew increasingly anxious about their prospects with him at the top of the ticket.

Behind the scenes, Pelosi was allegedly fielding concerns from panicked party members and relaying them to the White House. Biden ultimately dropped out of the race on July 21, 2024, and endorsed Kamala Harris to take on Donald Trump. 

However, during an appearance on 'Good Morning America' in August 2024, she denied having any role in his exit.

"I have the greatest respect for the president. I think he will be one of the most consequential presidents in our country. I want him, his legacy, to be recognized, and preserved. I wasn't asking him to step down. I was asking for a campaign that would win. And I wasn't seeing that on the horizon," she claimed. 

Insisting her priority was always the party's success, Pelosi said, "Winning an election is a decision. You make a decision to win and make every decision in favor of winning, in terms of how you mobilize at the grassroots level and on the ground to get out the vote."

She added, "How you have a message that is bold and progressive, but not menacing to the public. And how you have the money to do that, to attract that largely from small donors. And then the most important decision is the candidate."

While Pelosi praised Biden for stepping aside — even suggesting he belongs on Mount Rushmore — those words have done little to mend fences with the Bidens. Reports at the time suggested the president himself was frustrated with her role in his ouster and saw it as a betrayal by someone he considered a trusted ally. 

Twisting the knife: Nancy Pelosi's post-election commentary

If Nancy Pelosi’s behind-the-scenes maneuvering wasn't enough, her post-election commentary further deepened the divide.

Speaking after Harris' loss to Trump, Pelosi doubled down, claiming Biden should have exited sooner to allow for a more open primary.

"Had the president gotten out sooner, there may have been other candidates in the race," the 84-year-old told The New York Times. "The anticipation was that, if the president were to step aside, that there would be an open primary."

Pelosi admitted that she wanted the primary to be a competitive process, even if Harris had ultimately emerged as the nominee. "And as I say, Kamala may have, I think she would have done well in that and been stronger going forward. But we don’t know that," she said. 

"That didn’t happen. We live with what happened," Pelosi lamented. 

"And because the president endorsed Kamala Harris immediately, that really made it almost impossible to have a primary at that time. If it had been much earlier, it would have been different," she added. 

Her remarks about the missed opportunity for a broader primary—where names like Michelle Obama, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and California Governor Gavin Newsom were floated—were seen by some as a subtle jab at both Biden and Harris.