Pelosi refuses to say she supports Biden as Democratic nominee | Wilnesh News

Former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday declined to expressly endorse President Joe Biden as the party’s presidential candidate and encouraged her colleagues in Congress to hold off on making public statements supporting or opposing Biden.

“Let’s just wait. Whatever you’re thinking about or tell someone privately, you don’t have to put it on the table until we see how this week goes,” Pelosi said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

The comments are notable because Biden has repeatedly insisted he will not withdraw from the race against former President Trump and said his decision is final.

Pelosi’s carefully worded comments suggest she believes Biden is still deciding whether to remain in the lead.

“It’s up to the president to decide whether he runs or not,” Pelosi said. “We are all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running out.”

Pelosi has long been one of Biden’s closest allies in Congress, so her refusal to endorse him as the nominee — as many Democrats have already done — caused an uproar at the Capitol on Wednesday.

Pelosi’s comments come two weeks after Biden made a full push to prove to Democrats and voters that his fitful, weak debate performance on June 27 was, as Pelosi said last week, “a sideshow.” rather than “evidence of conditions.” Biden’s public appearances so far have done little to ease Democrats’ concerns about his health.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Biden said in an interview on “Morning Joe” this week. “I absolutely believe I am the best candidate to defeat Donald Trump in 2024.”

As a result, Biden’s NATO summit event in Washington this week brings additional pressure to prove to Democrats that he has what it takes to defeat Trump in November and win a second four-year term.

Biden is under pressure this week to make a redemptive public performance as calls for him to withdraw grow louder.

On Tuesday, Sen. Michael BennettThe Colorado Democrat became the first Democratic senator to publicly declare that he does not believe the president can defeat Trump, although he stopped short of formally calling on Trump to withdraw from the race.

On the other side of Capitol Hill, the pressure has been expressed more openly. Also on Tuesday, Rep. Mikie Sherrill became the latest House Democrats to formally urge the president to drop out of the race.

In private meetings and calls, more Democratic lawmakers, donors and strategists expressed concerns about Biden’s suitability to run a grueling campaign that would see him stay in the Oval Office for four more years if he wins in November. Year.

In response to Pelosi’s remarks, the Biden campaign pointed to a letter the president sent to congressional Democrats on Monday, reiterating his commitment to staying in the race and calling on lawmakers to unite behind him. The campaign also compiled a list of Democratic lawmakers who have publicly stated their support for Biden.

— CNBC’s Josephine Rozzelle contributed to this report.