Obama and Pelosi Have Discussed Growing Concerns About Biden’s Candidacy, CNN Reports
President Joe Biden’s first solo press conference since last year was followed shortly after by a CNN report revealing that Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Barack Obama have discussed growing concerns about Biden’s reelection campaign.
Biden took to the stage on Thursday evening in Washington at a NATO summit for his first solo press conference in months. The event had an unusual amount of attention thanks to a growing number of Democrats calling for Biden to drop from the race over concerns about his age.
The president made multiple mistakes on Thursday, but spoke for longer than he did in any of his interviews after last month’s CNN debate performance, which he admitted was lackluster, chalking it up to a cold and jet lag from a return trip from Europe 12 days prior.
CNN reporter Jeff Zeleny joined Anderson Cooper following Biden’s press conference to break the report from him and Edward-Isaac Dovere on the mysterious conversation between Obama and Pelosi.
Zeleny reported:
We are learning tonight that throughout the course of this week as we’ve seen the public words from former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, we’re learning that she has had a private conversation earlier this week with former President Barack Obama. They have talked about this matter. We do not know exactly the contents of that private conversation
Zeleny reported Democrats are privately expressing that they are looking to Pelosi and Obama for a “way out of here.” Biden insisted again on Thursday he is not dropping out of the race despite concerns. The report cites more than a dozen “embers of Congress, operatives and multiple people in touch with both Obama and Pelosi” who said the end of Biden’s candidacy appears clear, regardless of NATO.
“They are watching and waiting for President Biden to reach a decision on his own,” one “longtime Democrat” who is close to Pelosi, Obama, and Biden, told CNN.
Zeleny noted Obama could carry the most influence with Biden, citing reports Obama convinced his former vice president not to run against Hillary Clinton in 2015.
Pelosi recently fueled speculation about Biden’s support within his party when she told Morning Joe it is “up to” Biden to make the decision on running or not — after he’d repeatedly said he is running.
CNN’s report also follows Politico reporting that longtime Democrat George Clooney consulted with Obama before penning an op-ed in the New York Times calling for Biden to drop his reelection campaign. The op-ed was published just weeks after Clooney attended a fundraiser with the president.
Watch above via CNN.
Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com
