The behind-the-scenes wrangling among Democrats to ultimately force Joe Biden’s hand to back out of the race against Donald Trump after a disastrous debate performance may have forever damaged Nancy Pelosi’s relationship with the outgoing president.
Pelosi has been on a book-speaking tour and has fielded many questions about her relationship with Biden. Insisting she didn’t maneuver in private to try and push Biden out despite reporting that suggested otherwise, Pelosi says she hasn’t spoken with the president since he decided to bow out.
The latest interview is with the New Yorker’s David Remnick:
Pelosi said she has not been in contact with the President since that dramatic Sunday, and I asked her if she thought her long relationship with him would survive.
“I hope so,” she said. “I pray so. I cry so.”
Do you worry about it?
“I lose sleep on it, yeah.”
Do you think he’s angry at you?
“I don’t know. We haven’t had a conversation. But . . .”
What kind of state do you think he’s in now?
“I think he’s in a good state,” Pelosi said. “I mean, I think he did a remarkable thing, bringing home all these prisoners. Oh, my God, that was so masterful. . . . But my understanding is that he’s good. And the thing is that his legacy will go right down the drain if what’s-his-name ever [returns to] the White House. Whether it’s the planet, whether it’s fairness in our economy, whether it’s the safety of our children . . .”
It was Pelosi who publicly encouraged Biden on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” to make a decision about his reelection campaign when he had already insisted he had no plans to step aside.
In a moment of tense exchange with Remnick, Pelosi was harsh about Biden’s chances of winning a second term with the team around him.
More from the interview:
When I pressed Pelosi to talk in greater detail about her language on “Morning Joe,” she looked at me silently, unblinking. Finally, as the silence expanded past the boundary of awkward, I said, “You’re looking at me and waiting for this moment to pass.”
“Yeah, but I’m trying to think of why you’re even asking it, because, you know, I’m not going to answer it the way that you want,” Pelosi said. “I didn’t plan to do that on [’Morning Joe.’] In fact, if I did, I probably would’ve worn a different suit or something, because I didn’t look too professional.”
“It was like you felt his pain,” I said.
Then Pelosi dropped her calculated reserve. “I’ve never been that impressed with his political operation,” she admitted. “They won the White House. Bravo. But my concern was: this ain’t happening, and we have to make a decision for this to happen. The President has to make the decision for that to happen. People were calling. I never called one person. I kept true to my word. Any conversation I had, it was just going to be with him. I never made one call. They said I was burning up the lines, I was talking to Chuck [Schumer]. I didn’t talk to Chuck at all.
For the House speaker emerita the upheaval is less about Biden, a friend of 40 years, and more about Trump, who the former president she refers to as “Bozo,” “a snake-oil salesman,” “what’s his name” and the “Creature from the Black Lagoon.”
Over and again, Pelosi declined to detail her conversations with Biden during this tumultuous period, or if the conversations happened at all. The two have not spoken since he bowed out of the race.
“At some point, I will come to terms with my, to peace, with my own role in this,” she said told reporters on Wednesday.
“I think that part of all of our goals in this was to preserve his legacy, a fabulous legacy, that would go right down the drain if Bozo got elected to the White House.”
Some details, though, have come into view as Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries all had private talks with Biden as he made his historic decision to end his campaign.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco.
Source link : http://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=66b6e79c3b1e4889bfdb2c5289576c7c&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nj.com%2Fpolitics%2F2024%2F08%2Fwhy-nancy-pelosi-isnt-sure-joe-biden-will-ever-forgive-her.html&c=2869046516586643660&mkt=en-us
Author :
Publish date : 2024-08-08 07:59:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.