Nancy Pelosi casts doubts over Biden’s letter wanting to stay in 2024 race as ‘it didn’t sound like Joe’

WASHINGTON, DC: Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has cast doubt on the authenticity of a letter sent by President Joe Biden to Democratic members of Congress, where he assured them of his commitment to remain in the 2024 presidential race.

The letter was intended to quell growing doubts about Biden’s ability to continue his campaign amid concerns about his mental acuity, especially after his June 27 debate with Donald Trump. However, two weeks after sending the letter, Biden abruptly withdrew from the race—leaving many scratching their heads.

Pelosi, in a candid interview with Ezra Klein of The New York Times, openly questioned whether Biden had written the letter himself. “I didn’t accept the letter as anything but a letter,” she remarked, implying that the content did not genuinely reflect Biden’s voice or intentions. 

Pelosi further elaborated, suggesting that others shared her doubts. “I mean, there are some people who are unhappy with the letter."

She then diplomatically reframed her words: “Some said that some people were unhappy with the letter. I’ll put it in somebody else’s mouth. It didn’t sound like Joe Biden to me. It really didn’t.”

Aftermath of Joe Biden's letter and speculations

After Joe Biden sent that letter, Nancy Pelosi made some striking remarks that raised eyebrows and led to speculations of tensions within the Democratic party over Biden's campaign.

Pelosi’s appeared on MSNBC’s 'Morning Joe' shortly afterward. Biden's alleged fondness for the program is well-known. On the show, Pelosi made a statement that seemed to contradict Biden’s insistence that he was staying in the race.

“It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run,” she said, suggesting that Biden had yet to make a definitive decision. This led to speculation that Pelosi might be subtly signaling her desire for Biden to reconsider his candidacy.

“We’re all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short," she added.

When pressed about the apparent contradiction between her statement and Biden’s letter, Pelosi responded vaguely, “Whatever he decides, we go with.”

Pelosi’s comments did not go unnoticed. Some political analysts interpreted her remarks as an indirect push for Biden to step aside. David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker, even suggested that Pelosi’s words provided Democrats with the necessary “space” to openly challenge Biden’s bid for reelection.

Despite the mounting speculation, Pelosi has downplayed her intentions, claiming that her appearance on 'Morning Joe' was merely to support Belarusian dissident politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, rather than to send a message to Biden.

Nancy Pelosi made it clear she wasn't happy with Joe Biden's campaign

Throughout this period, Nancy Pelosi reiterated her long-standing position that Joe Biden’s political operation had not impressed her.

Speaking to The New Yorker, she stated bluntly, “I wanted to see a campaign that could win. Because I had made a decision that I stayed in Congress to defeat what’s-his-name, because I think he is a danger to our country,” referring to former president Donald Trump.

Her dissatisfaction with Biden’s campaign efforts appears to have been shared by several of her close allies, including Representatives Adam Schiff and Zoe Lofgren, both of whom reportedly joined the movement to push for a different Democratic candidate in 2024.

Behind the scenes, Pelosi’s frustration with Biden’s campaign strategy became evident in a private conversation she had with the president. According to a report by CNN, Pelosi confronted Biden with polling data that suggested he had little chance of winning the election.

When Biden challenged her assessment, Pelosi insisted that he speak with his longtime adviser, Mike Donilon. A Democratic source familiar with the conversation told Politico, “Nancy made clear that they could do this the easy way or the hard way. She gave them three weeks of the easy way. It was about to be the hard way.”

Fallout between Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden and hopes for reconciliation

The tension between Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden has not gone unnoticed by others within the Democratic Party. Anita Dunn, a former senior adviser to Biden, seemed to take a veiled jab at Pelosi in a recent interview.

“The task in front of us is to win this election and to not let Donald Trump become president again and to win the House of Representatives, which, had certain leaders in 2022 done a slightly better job, maybe we would control today, but we don’t,” she told Politico’s 'Playbook Deep Dive' podcast.

“That is the job ahead of us,” Dunn said. “And it’s critical because, as the president has said, this country is at an inflection point.”

Biden himself is reportedly “furious” with Pelosi. In a recent interview with CBS News, Biden mentioned Pelosi by name, expressing his concern that her actions might have negatively impacted his campaign.

“A number of my Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate thought that I was going to hurt them in the races,” he said.

“And I was concerned if I stayed in the race, that would be the topic — you’d be interviewing me about why did Nancy Pelosi say [something] … and I thought it’d be a real distraction.”

 

Despite the evident strain between the two long-time political allies, Pelosi has insisted that she did not actively campaign against Biden’s reelection. In her conversation with The New Yorker, she claimed, “People were calling me saying that there was a challenge there. So there had to be a change in the leadership of the campaign or what would come next.”

Pelosi also revealed that she and Biden have not spoken since his announcement of his withdrawal from the race on July 21. However, Pelosi was hopeful that their relationship, which has spanned decades, would be repaired.

When asked if their bond could endure the recent tensions, Pelosi replied, “I hope so. I pray so. I cry so.”

In public, Pelosi has made efforts to praise Biden, calling him a “consequential” president and even suggesting that he deserves a place on Mount Rushmore, the New York Post reported.