Obama and Pelosi Privately Question Biden’s 2024 Chances, Urged to Intervene by Anxious

Democrats

Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi have held private discussions about Joe Biden and the future of his 2024 campaign. Both the former president and the ex-speaker have voiced concerns over the increasing difficulty they foresee in Biden’s ability to defeat Donald Trump. However, neither has determined a clear course of action.

Democrats are eager to end the internal discord to focus on defeating Trump. They are urging either Obama or Pelosi to step in, given 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 effectively deliver the message.

CNN interviewed over a dozen members of Congress, operatives, and individuals close to both Obama and Pelosi. Many feel Biden’s candidacy is nearing its end, and it’s now a matter of how it unfolds, despite Thursday night’s news conference.

If Obama and Pelosi think otherwise, several leading Democrats argue they must clearly communicate this soon to prevent further damage, with less than four months until the election.

Pelosi’s colleagues hope she can resolve the turmoil that has plagued Democrats for the past two weeks. Many believe this can happen if she convinces Biden to withdraw. While Pelosi has spoken to Biden since the debate, she has indicated that she does not view Biden’s decision to stay in the race as final. Nonetheless, through an aide, she declined to comment further.

Obama’s silence over the past two weeks has left many leading Democrats feeling abandoned. After the debate, he posted on X, “Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know,” echoing this sentiment at a fundraiser for House Democrats. Obama’s reluctance to publicly address the situation has heightened the anxiety within the party.

Despite his public silence, Obama’s skepticism about Biden’s chances is widely known in Washington. When the history of this turbulent period in American politics is documented, Obama and Pelosi’s influence will be more evident, according to sources familiar with the matter. They have acted as guiding figures for a panicked party.

“They are watching and waiting for President Biden to reach a decision on his own,” a longtime Democrat close to them told CNN, under the condition of anonymity to avoid appearing disrespectful to Biden.

The Biden campaign declined to comment.

While acknowledging that Obama and Pelosi have discussed Biden, a spokesperson for Pelosi told CNN, “There is no member of Congress who would have any knowledge of any conversation that Speaker Pelosi would have with President Obama. Anyone who says they do is not speaking the truth.”

Obama has been receiving more calls than he’s making, according to those who have spoken to him. When he does talk to anxious Democratic donors and officials, he listens more than he speaks, carefully avoiding taking positions that might leak.

This approach was also evident in his call with Biden after the debate. While Biden suggested to others that Obama was supportive of him weathering the storm, others familiar with the call said Obama maintained his role as a “sounding board and private counselor.” He prodded and played devil’s advocate but did not take a position.

In recent conversations with Democrats, Obama has dismissed the idea that he could influence Biden’s decision even if he wanted to. This highlights their complicated, yet loyal, relationship. Their relationship has grown more complex since Obama left office and their weekly lunches at the White House ended. The two now speak far less frequently than their advisers often suggest.

If Obama were to try to steer Biden to step down, he is aware of how it might be perceived. Biden has previously written that he felt Obama was not encouraging when he considered entering the Democratic primaries after his son Beau’s death in 2015. Though Obama believed he was helping Biden focus on his grief and avoid a tough primary campaign against Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, Biden might view another such conversation differently.

“Biden would say, ‘Well, Mr. President, you already used that chip in 2015 and it got us Donald Trump,’” speculated a longtime 2020 campaign aide. “I think it would harden him more.”

Obama is also cautious about giving Trump any new material to use against him.

Historically, Obama has seen his role as unifying the party and validating its direction to skeptical members. So far, he has not committed to playing this role in the debate 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 public restraint is seen by some close to him as a way to preserve his position if he needs to have a frank, difficult 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 fundraising events this year, including one in Los Angeles where George Clooney later expressed concerns about Biden’s performance.

Biden had traveled from Italy after several days of G-7 meetings, flying overnight across five time zones to attend the fundraiser, because campaign co-chair Jeffrey Katzenberg insisted on the Hollywood-themed event, and Clooney was only available on that day. Obama questioned the logic of such a grueling 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 comments angered some Biden loyalists, who suspected Obama’s involvement. Though Obama was aware of the op-ed, he did not try to stop it, which some see as maintaining neutrality, while others view it as betrayal.

Obama spent more time with Biden backstage and on stage than Clooney did. Those present attributed Biden’s condition to jet lag. The infamous video of Obama leading Biden off stage was more about Obama wanting to leave.

An Obama aide declined to comment on whether Obama still believed Biden’s condition was due to jet lag.

Pelosi re-broke the dam when she appeared on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and cast doubt on Biden’s candidacy. Privately, she advised colleagues to avoid embarrassing Biden during the NATO summit. Yet, her comments were taken as a green light by more Democrats to call for Biden to step aside.

Pelosi has known Biden for decades and has been one of his staunchest defenders. She has nothing to lose now that she’s no longer speaker.

“I think at this moment, if Biden ends up stepping down as the nominee, she will prove to be the most important Democratic leader,” said one House Democrat. “She’s the one in a situation like this, especially generationally, who has the credibility to weigh in on something that is so sensitive and important.”

Pelosi plans to return to San Francisco on Friday.