OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday warned fellow Democrats and President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign that “time is running short” on whether he will ultimately decide to drop out of the race, but she did not go so far as to call on him to choose that option.
During an appearance on far-left MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program, Pelosi was asked about an op-ed attributed to her if she still supported Biden’s reelection bid as a growing number of Democrats call for him to drop out following a horrible debate performance against former President Donald Trump late last month.
“So, Madam Speaker, you just went through the president’s record, but let me ask you about the current moment. Does he have your support to be the head of the Democrats?” co-host Jonathan Lemire asked.
“It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run. We’re all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short. I think overwhelming support of the caucus — it’s not for me to say, I’m not the head of the caucus anymore — but he’s beloved, he is respected, and people want him to make that decision,” she said.
Lemire then pressed the former House Speaker by reminding her that Biden insisted on Monday he was staying in the race.
“He has said he has made the decision. He has said firmly this week he is going to run. Do you want him to run?” he asked.
“I want him to do whatever he decides to do. And that’s the way it is. Whatever he decides, we go with,” she said. “I think it’s really important and I would hope everyone would join in.
“Let him deal with this NATO conference. This is a very big deal. Thirty heads of — over 30 heads of state are here. He is the host of it, and that means not just hosting, it means orchestrating the discussion and setting the agenda,” Pelosi continued. “And he’s doing so magnificently. And I’ve said to everyone, let’s just hold off 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. But I’m very proud of the president.”
Jake Sherman of Punchbowl News and NBC News called the quotes “earth shaking” and “hardly an endorsement” of the man running for a second term in the White House.
This statement from Pelosi is earth shaking. Hardly an endorsement of Biden from congress’s most prominent Democrat. https://t.co/e7QOd35CJv
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) July 10, 2024
As Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has made clear on many occasions, she has often been to Biden’s left on several issues throughout his presidency. But when it comes to supporting calls for him to end his reelection bid, she’s not on board with that.
Speaking to reporters on Monday evening, Bronx-born Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez carefully addressed recent concerns regarding President Biden’s health and mental sharpness. She affirmed her support for him as the party’s nominee, mentioning that she had spoken with the president over the weekend.
“I have spoken with him extensively. He made clear then and he has made clear since that he is in this race. The matter is closed. He had reiterated that this morning. He has reiterated that to the public. Joe Biden is our nominee. He is not leaving this race. He is our nominee, and I support him,” she said forcefully before attempting to turn the tables on former President Donald Trump.
“What I think is critically important right now is that we focus on what it takes to win in November, because he is running against Donald Trump, who is a man with 34 felony convictions that has committed 34 felony crimes, and not a single Republican has asked for Donald Trump to not be the nominee,” she said.
“I’m here to win on this democracy, I’m here to win in November, and what’s critically important is what I believe the president needs to do… in order to make sure that we win in November… that is making sure that we pivot and working and increasingly commit to the issues that are critically important to working people across this country,” she went on.
