Quick Hit:

In a recent appearance on The Guardian's Politics Weekly America podcast, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi revealed she has still not spoken to Joe Biden since successfully pressuring the president to drop out of the 2024 race in July.

Key Details:

• Pelosi's push for Biden to step aside followed his weak debate performance against former President Donald Trump, which only exacerbated concerns among Democrats about Biden’s mental state. She described her decision as a necessary step to shift the Democratic Party’s strategy and prevent a Trump victory in 2024.

• Pelosi emphasized that her actions were intended to safeguard Biden's accomplishments. She acknowledged that some within Biden's circle may still hold her responsible for limiting his presidency to one term, but insisted her focus was on ensuring a Democratic win.

• After Biden withdrew, Pelosi quickly backed Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee. She praised Harris for her strategic thinking and policy expertise, contrasting her campaign with previous ones supposedly more focused on identity politics, such as Hillary Clinton’s 2016 run.

Diving Deeper:

In an interview on The Guardian's Politics Weekly America podcast, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi disclosed that she still hasn’t spoken to President Joe Biden since pressuring him to withdraw from the 2024 race. Pelosi admitted that while her friendship with Biden spans decades, she believed his diminishing performance, particularly in a debate against former President Donald Trump, warranted a political recalibration. “Not since then, no,” Pelosi responded when asked if she had reached out to Biden following her July intervention. She added that she continues to be "prayerful" about their relationship.

Pelosi underscored her decision by stressing the supposed need to protect Biden’s legacy. "I think he's one of the great consequential presidents of our country," she said, emphasizing that his accomplishments needed safeguarding. In her view, continuing on the trajectory Biden was on would have led to further damage to his presidency, especially if he were to face another defeat against Trump. While Pelosi acknowledged that her move may have created tension within Biden’s camp, she stood by it, explaining that the ultimate goal was to ensure victory for the Democratic Party.

Known for her ability to unite disparate factions within the party, Pelosi was instrumental in encouraging Democrats to rally around Kamala Harris as the new nominee. After Biden’s withdrawal, she fully backed Harris and endorsed her choice of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.