Pelosi dodges on Biden reelection bid: 'I want him to do whatever he decides to do'
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi was non-committal Wednesday morning when asked if she supported President Joe Biden continuing his reelection bid — something the incumbent has repeatedly told Hill Democrats he would do. "It's up to the president to decide if he is going to run," Pelosi said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” "We're all encouraging him to make that decision, because time is running short." When pressed on her answer, as Biden has told Hill Democrats, donors and voters that he plans to stay in the race, Pelosi still demurred: “I want him to do whatever he decides to do.” The morning appearance highlights the simmering Capitol Hill concerns about Biden’s viability against former President Donald Trump. Later in the day, a spokesperson for Pelosi's office, in a statement, said, “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.” Pelosi, for her part, urged a hold on such discussions until after the president finishes hosting the NATO summit this week. Biden will have a press conference on Thursday. Pelosi is one of the most visible and respected senior figures in the party — and her words carry great weight among rank-and-file members. She previously expressed “full confidence” in Biden and spoke glowingly of his record in office on Wednesday morning. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), who’d previously privately voiced concerns about Biden’s candidacy, said in a brief interview he hadn’t seen Pelosi’s comments but said, after hearing a description of them, “I associate myself with Speaker Pelosi’s remarks.” “I don't want to litigate any more of this in public. It’s the president's prerogative right now,” he said. Asked about speaker emerita’s comments, Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) reiterated that Biden was the nominee, praised his record, and added: “This decision is up to the president.” Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), the head of the Senate Democratic campaign arm, took a page from Pelosi’s playbook when asked if he personally thought Biden should remain atop the Democratic ticket. “I believe that it's his decision to make and he has to make a decision. Only he can make a decision,” Peters told reporters. He predicted his home state of Michigan would “revert to the mean” of a close battleground race, but expressed confidence incumbent senators would be able to perform strongly in red tinged states like Montana and Ohio, where Sens. Jon Tester and Sherrod Brown are seeking reelection. “They win because they represent their state in an extraordinary way and have proven that over the years — and are going to win again,” Peters said. “That's why you're seeing our candidates perform very well versus their Republican opponents in all of our battleground states. And I would expect that that will continue.”
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi was non-committal Wednesday morning when asked if she supported President Joe Biden continuing his reelection bid — something the incumbent has repeatedly told Hill Democrats he would do.
"It's up to the president to decide if he is going to run," Pelosi said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” "We're all encouraging him to make that decision, because time is running short."
When pressed on her answer, as Biden has told Hill Democrats, donors and voters that he plans to stay in the race, Pelosi still demurred: “I want him to do whatever he decides to do.”
The morning appearance highlights the simmering Capitol Hill concerns about Biden’s viability against former President Donald Trump.
Later in the day, a spokesperson for Pelosi's office, in a statement, said, “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.”
Pelosi, for her part, urged a hold on such discussions until after the president finishes hosting the NATO summit this week. Biden will have a press conference on Thursday.
Pelosi is one of the most visible and respected senior figures in the party — and her words carry great weight among rank-and-file members. She previously expressed “full confidence” in Biden and spoke glowingly of his record in office on Wednesday morning.
Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), who’d previously privately voiced concerns about Biden’s candidacy, said in a brief interview he hadn’t seen Pelosi’s comments but said, after hearing a description of them, “I associate myself with Speaker Pelosi’s remarks.”
“I don't want to litigate any more of this in public. It’s the president's prerogative right now,” he said.
Asked about speaker emerita’s comments, Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) reiterated that Biden was the nominee, praised his record, and added: “This decision is up to the president.”
Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), the head of the Senate Democratic campaign arm, took a page from Pelosi’s playbook when asked if he personally thought Biden should remain atop the Democratic ticket.
“I believe that it's his decision to make and he has to make a decision. Only he can make a decision,” Peters told reporters.
He predicted his home state of Michigan would “revert to the mean” of a close battleground race, but expressed confidence incumbent senators would be able to perform strongly in red tinged states like Montana and Ohio, where Sens. Jon Tester and Sherrod Brown are seeking reelection.
“They win because they represent their state in an extraordinary way and have proven that over the years — and are going to win again,” Peters said. “That's why you're seeing our candidates perform very well versus their Republican opponents in all of our battleground states. And I would expect that that will continue.”
