Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi privately informed President Joe Biden in a recent conversation that polling indicates he cannot defeat Donald Trump and that his continued pursuit of a second term could jeopardize the Democrats’ chances of winning the House in November, according to four sources briefed on the call.
President Biden pushed back, citing polls he has seen that suggest he can win, one source said. Another source described Biden as becoming defensive about the polling data. At one point during the conversation, Pelosi asked Mike Donilon, Biden’s longtime adviser, to join the call to discuss the data.
This phone call marks the second known conversation between Pelosi and Biden since the president’s disastrous debate on June 27. While the exact date of the call was unclear, one source mentioned it occurred within the last week. Pelosi and Biden also spoke in early July.
None of the sources indicated whether Pelosi explicitly told Biden he should drop out of the 2024 race during this conversation.
Pelosi has been actively listening to her colleagues’ concerns since the debate. She made headlines last week when she said in an interview, “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.”
CNN’s Van Jones reacted to the growing pressure on Biden, stating, “This is the endgame.”
