Concerns Voiced Privately by Obama and Pelosi Regarding Biden
Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi have privately expressed concerns about Joe Biden's prospects for his 2024 campaign. Both the former president and the ex-speaker are worried about the increasing difficulty Biden faces in defeating Donald Trump. However, they remain unsure about the best course of action.
Democrats are eager to end the internal discord and focus on defeating Trump. They are urging Obama or Pelosi to intervene, recognizing that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer lacks Biden's trust, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries doesn't have a strong enough relationship with Biden to convey the message effectively.
CNN has spoken with more than a dozen members of Congress, operatives, and individuals in contact with both Obama and Pelosi. Many of them feel that Biden's campaign is nearing its end, and it's just a matter of how it will unfold, even after the recent news conference.
If Obama and Pelosi believe otherwise, leading Democrats say they need to make that clear soon to prevent further damage less than four months before the election.
Many of Pelosi's colleagues hope she can resolve the turmoil that has plagued Democrats for the past two weeks. To many, this resolution could come if she tells Biden to drop out. Pelosi has spoken to Biden since the debate, but she has indicated that she doesn't see Biden's decision to stay in the race as final. However, she declined to comment further through an aide.
Obama's silence for two weeks has left many leading Democrats feeling abandoned. After the debate, he posted on X, “Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know,” and reiterated this sentiment at a fundraiser in New York. Biden and Obama aides coordinated this post to reflect Biden campaign talking points, referencing Obama's own difficult reelection debate in 2012.
However, Obama's deepening skepticism about Biden's ability to win reelection is well-known in Washington.
When the history of this tumultuous period in American politics is written, Obama's and Pelosi's influence will be more evident than currently known, according to sources familiar with the matter. They have acted as guides for a party in panic.
“They are watching and waiting for President Biden to reach a decision on his own,” a longtime Democrat close to them told CNN, speaking anonymously to avoid appearing disrespectful to Biden.
The Biden campaign declined to comment.
While not denying that Pelosi and Obama have discussed Biden, a Pelosi spokesperson told CNN, “There is no member of Congress who would have any knowledge of any conversation that Speaker Pelosi would have with President Obama. They do is not speaking the truth, anyone who says .”
Obama has been receiving more calls than he is making, according to those who have spoken to him. When he does talk to anxious Democratic donors and officials, he listens more than he talks, avoiding taking positions that could quickly leak.
This was also Obama's approach in his call with Biden after the debate. While Biden suggested to others that Obama was supportive of him enduring the turmoil, others familiar with the call say Obama remained a "sounding board and private counselor," prodding and playing devil's advocate without taking a definitive stance.
In recent conversations with Democrats, Obama has dismissed the idea that he could influence Biden's decision even if he wanted to, highlighting their complex but loyal relationship. Since leaving office, the two have spoken far less than some advisors have suggested.
If Obama did try to persuade Biden to step down, people who know him say he is aware of how it might be perceived. Biden has written that he felt Obama was not supportive of his entering the Democratic primaries after his son Beau's death in 2015. Though Obama intended to help Biden focus on his grief rather than a challenging primary campaign, another conversation might not be well-received.
One veteran 2020 campaign adviser surmised, "Biden would say, 'Well, Mr. President, you already used that chip in 2015 and it got us Donald Trump.'" "I believe it would make him more stoic."
Obama is also reluctant to give Trump any new material by becoming actively involved.
In the past, including during the 2020 Democratic primaries, Obama has seen his role as a unifier who can validate the party's direction. So far, he has not committed to this role in the current turmoil over Biden's candidacy. “Well, he’s known as no-drama Obama,” said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Missouri Democrat. “So if there’s drama, then he’s the one to deal with it.”
Obama's hands-off approach has been seen by some as a way to keep his options open in case he needs to have a blunt conversation with Biden.
“He is going to be all in for the Democratic ticket. No matter who our nominee is, he will be busting his a** helping to make sure that person wins in November,” said one person who speaks with Obama regularly.
Obama has supported Biden at two fundraising events this year, including a Los Angeles event last month where George Clooney later expressed concern about Biden's performance.
Biden had flown overnight across five time zones after several days of G-7 meetings to attend the fundraiser. Obama questioned the wisdom of such a schedule for any presidential candidate.
“He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate,” Clooney wrote in an essay in The New York Times, urging Biden to step aside.
Clooney's words angered some Biden loyalists, who suggested Obama was behind the op-ed. Obama, who is friendly with the actor, was aware of the essay but did not try to stop it. Some see this as Obama maintaining neutrality, while others view it as a betrayal.
Obama was with Biden backstage and on stage longer than Clooney was. Some attributed Biden's condition to jet lag. The video of Obama leading Biden off stage was more about Obama wanting to leave.
An Obama aide declined to comment or say whether his assessment of Biden's condition remained that it was due to jet lag.
Pelosi Breaks the Silence
As House Democrats left their private caucus meeting on Tuesday morning, many felt the worst might be over for Biden. Most anti-Biden remarks came from members who had already called for him to step down.
Then Pelosi appeared on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Wednesday morning, casting major doubt on Biden’s candidacy. In private, she counseled colleagues not to make a fool of Biden at the NATO conference. Still, more Democrats interpreted her remarks as a cue to ask Biden to go.
Pelosi has known Biden for decades and has been one of his staunchest defenders. With nothing to lose, she might prove to be the most important Democratic leader if Biden steps down.
One House Democrat stated, "I think that at this point, if Biden ends up stepping down as the nominee, she will prove to be the most important Democratic leader." "She is the only person with the credibility to comment on something this delicate and significant in a situation like this, especially in terms of generational differences."
Pelosi plans to fly back to San Francisco on Friday.
