President Joe Biden recently discussed his decision to withdraw from the presidential race, citing pressure from Democratic colleagues. In an interview with CBS News, Biden explained that members of the Democratic Party expressed concerns about his campaign’s impact on down-ballot races.
Biden’s Decision and Democratic Concerns
“A number of my Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate thought that I was going to hurt them in the races. And I was concerned if I stayed in the race, that would be the topic, you’d be interviewing me about why did Nancy Pelosi say – why did – and I thought it’d be a real distraction,” Biden told CBS News’ Bob Costa.
Biden officially announced his withdrawal from the race at the end of July, subsequently endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris. Reports indicate that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Chuck Schumer, and other Democratic leaders had privately urged Biden to step aside following his initial debate with former President Donald Trump.
Polls and Pelosi’s Perspective
Biden noted that internal polls suggested a tightly contested race. “The polls we had showed that it was a neck-and-neck race, it would have been down to the wire,” he said.
In a recent interview, Pelosi revealed that she has not spoken with Biden since his withdrawal. Despite denying that she explicitly asked Biden to drop out, Pelosi acknowledged the challenges his campaign faced. “Now I was really asking for a better campaign. We did not have a campaign that was on the path to victory. Members knew that in their districts,” she told reporters.
Biden reflected on his initial presidential run and his goals. “When I ran the first time, I thought of myself as being a transition president. I can’t even say how old I am. It’s hard for me to get out of my mouth. But things got moving so quickly, it didn’t happen. And the combination was that I thought it was a critical issue for me still, it’s not a joke, maintaining this democracy,” he said during the interview.
Public Statements and Private Discussions
Despite initially affirming his intent to stay in the race, Biden’s resolve was tested by public and private discussions among Democratic leaders. Pelosi, during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” highlighted the urgency of Biden’s decision-making process. “It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run. We are all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short,” she stated.
Pelosi later clarified that her comments on “Morning Joe” were not intended to pressure Biden publicly but acknowledged that they reignited the debate over his candidacy. “He may think that my statement unleashed something — I don’t know, because I haven’t spoken to him since,” Pelosi told reporters.