CHICAGO – Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday didn’t want to discuss her fateful conversation with President Joe Biden in which she expressed her concerns about Democrats losing the White House this November.
Speaking in the cathedral-like University Club of Chicago, she initially filibustered when asked about what she told Biden before he exited the 2024 race and backed Vice President Kamala Harris.
She insisted Biden’s choice was his own. But when pressed, the former speaker said she needed to do what was necessary to prevent Republican Donald Trump from returning to the White House.
“I wanted very much to protect his legacy,” Pelosi said of the president. “So my point was only: We need a better campaign.”
Pelosi isn’t explicitly taking credit for pushing Biden to end his reelection bid and make way for Harris, a move that has transformed the presidential campaign and given Democrats new hope of beating Trump.
Many lawmakers who were reluctant to campaign with Biden this fall are enthusiastic supporters of Harris — and her.
“Speaker Pelosi is always someone who reflects the interests of the caucus,” said Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., the party’s nominee in a critical Senate race.
Adrian Hemond, a Democratic strategist with clients in California, said Pelosi had “a lot of conversations with donors that matter.” He stated the former speaker’s influence clearly.
Pelosi is known for being a tough-minded leader who can use chocolates and a baseball bat to get things done.
The 84-year-old has outlined a philosophy of toughness, saying that her primary motivator has been trying to help as many as one in five children who live in poverty.
She can fluently chat about the Grateful Dead and the Baltimore Ravens football team, the pride of her hometown.
Pelosi spoke to Democratic strategist David Axelrod Wednesday about her new book, “The Art of Power.”
Her mission after a tumultuous few months, she said, is keeping voters focused on the election at hand and the issues that matter.
To Nancy Pelosi, politics require tough empathy that guides Democrats to make tough but necessary decisions.
Pelosi hasn’t spoken to Biden since he dropped out, but her influence on the Democratic Party remains evident.
Democrats are betting that the hardest choices, like the one Pelosi helped influence, can ultimately lead to the best outcome for the party.
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