U.S. President Joe Biden presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to U.S. Representative and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) during a ceremony at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 3, 2024.
Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., spoke with President Joe Biden on Saturday about the fallout from his disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump and how it’s hurting his legacy, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter.
A day later, Biden announced on social media that he was dropping out of the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.
The phone call between the two was described as “cordial” by the source and it’s unclear if the two spoke on Sunday, the same day Biden made his decision to leave the race. This source was granted anonymity in order to speak freely about a private conversation.
Press representatives for Pelosi and Biden did not immediately return requests for comment. A spokesman for Pelosi later told CNBC after publication of this story “not true. Speaker Pelosi has not spoken to the president since she left Washington more than a week ago.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., spoke this afternoon with Biden, according to NBC News.
Biden told his senior team he changed his mind about staying in the race at 1:45 pm on Sunday, according to a source who spoke with NBC News. Biden previously said he had no plans to drop out of the race, despite Democrats in both the House and Senate calling on him to leave the race.
Pelosi praised Biden in a statement after he dropped out of the race.
“His legacy of vision, values and leadership make him one of the most consequential Presidents in American history,” said Pelosi on Sunday. “With love and gratitude to President Biden for always believing in the promise of America and giving people the opportunity to reach their fulfillment.”
For Pelosi, the call came after the former House speaker reportedly told Biden that polling since his debate effort versus Trump shows he could not defeat the former president and, if he stayed in the race, it could ruin Democrats’ chances of winning the House in November.
It remains unclear if Pelosi will endorse Harris.