Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is defending her involvement in former President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, acknowledging that she has not yet spoken with Biden or former First Lady Jill Biden since the announcement.
Biden made headlines last July when he exited the race amid mounting pressure from Democratic lawmakers following a poor debate performance against now-President Donald Trump. Pelosi was viewed as a significant player in the Democratic push for Biden to step aside. Reports indicate that tensions between the Bidens and Pelosi have persisted since then, according to Fox News.
In a recent interview with MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell, Pelosi addressed Biden’s claims that he could have defeated Trump had he not been pressured to withdraw. “Well, all I know is that we won a seat in the House. We did not lose any seats,” Pelosi stated. “People were saying, ‘Oh, the Democrats lost!’ No, we did not. I think it would have been quite different with President Biden at the top of the ticket.”
Mitchell pointed out that Jill Biden expressed disappointment with Pelosi’s actions in a Washington Post interview, stating that Pelosi’s behavior had been on her mind and noting their long friendship. When asked if there was a possibility of reconciliation, Pelosi replied, “Well, I certainly hope so. No, I haven’t [spoken to Jill Biden], but the fact is that we’re all on a mission for the American people, for America’s working families.”
Pelosi likened the political landscape to maintaining a marriage for the sake of children, emphasizing her commitment to the welfare of future generations. “My whole passion about being in politics is for the children. So what is it that we’re doing for the children?” she said. “I think it would have been important for the children to not have Donald Trump as president, and I would take every step necessary to make sure that didn’t happen. But it did. And now we have to deal with it.”
Looking ahead, Pelosi expressed optimism about the Democratic Party’s prospects as they prepare for the 2026 midterm elections. “In about six or seven months, you’re going to see such a change,” she predicted. “By the time we start our campaigns in the fall for next year, you’re going to see a very different picture regarding the Democrats vis-a-vis Donald Trump.”
However, early assessments of Trump’s presidency suggest that Democrats may face significant challenges. A recent poll indicated that 55% of respondents approve of Trump’s job performance, while 43% disapprove. This national poll, conducted with 3,000 registered voters from February 10 to 14, had a margin of error of 1.8%. Another poll released shortly after showed that only 48% of people agreed with Trump.
In a related context, major businesses are reevaluating their approaches to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. Last month, Trump signed an executive order eliminating DEI policies and staff in the federal government, extending the ban to federal contractors as well. Some private companies had already begun scaling back their DEI initiatives before Trump took office, and many have since started to withdraw from their DEI commitments, albeit symbolically, despite limited real changes within the organizations.
