Nancy Pelosi has criticized Joe Biden’s delayed decision to exit the 2024 presidential race, saying it weakened the Democrats’ chances against Donald Trump.
Speaking on The Interview, a podcast by The New York Times, Pelosi revealed her thoughts on what went wrong for Democrats in the recent election.
“We live with what happened,” Pelosi said, emphasising that Biden’s delay left the party with few options.
Pelosi stated that if Biden had exited the race sooner, the Democrats would have had more candidates competing for the nomination, giving Vice President Kamala Harris a better chance to build her support.
“Had the president gotten out sooner,” Pelosi remarked, “there may have been other candidates in the race.”
She went on to say that if there had been an open primary, it would have allowed Harris to strengthen her campaign by competing with other candidates.
“The anticipation was that, if the president were to step aside, there would be an open primary,” Pelosi said.
In Pelosi’s view, Harris could have performed well in a primary process and emerged as a stronger candidate to take on Trump.
“But we don’t know that. That didn’t happen,” Pelosi admitted, expressing disappointment in how events unfolded.
Pelosi’s remarks reflect a wider frustration among Democrats after Harris’s loss to Trump in a contentious election.
The former House Speaker’s criticism has stirred debate among Democrats, who are already involved in a blame game over the loss of the White House.
According to *The New York Times*, Pelosi took a careful approach to defend Biden’s legislative achievements, especially those made in his first two years, when she led the House of Representatives.
However, Pelosi reportedly played a significant role in convincing Biden to step aside, believing it would benefit the party in the election.
Biden finally bowed out of the race in July, after weeks of pressure and a rough debate performance against Trump.
As Biden exited, he quickly endorsed Harris, making her the Democratic nominee.
Pelosi suggested that Biden’s immediate endorsement of Harris made it impossible for other Democratic candidates to enter the race.
“If it had been much earlier, it would have been different,” Pelosi said, adding that timing was a critical factor.
Reflecting on the election aftermath, Pelosi acknowledged that the Democrats had to accept the results and move forward.
“Kamala may have, I think she would have done well in [the primary] and been stronger going forward,” she noted. “But we don’t know that. That didn’t happen. We live with what happened.”
Harris, however, faced a challenging campaign, ultimately losing to Trump in a tough race.
As Pelosi’s remarks circulated, sources close to Harris also weighed in, sharing their perspective on the situation.
One Harris aide, speaking to Politico, echoed Pelosi’s sentiment, saying Biden’s delayed exit made the campaign difficult.
“We ran the best campaign we could, considering Joe Biden was president,” the aide said, indicating that Harris’s campaign faced unique challenges with Biden still in office.
Pelosi’s comments come amid internal tensions within the Democratic Party, as members grapple with the loss of the White House and a possible loss of Congress as well.
The election has fueled a deep examination within the party, with prominent figures like Pelosi publicly expressing disappointment in Biden’s timing.
Biden’s performance during the campaign had already raised questions among some party members.
In an interview with *he New Yorker earlier this year, Pelosi said she was “never that impressed with [Biden’s] political operation.”
Despite her critique, Pelosi herself secured another term in the House, winning her 20th term as a congresswoman from California.
As Democrats look to the future, Pelosi’s remarks highlight the complex dynamics that influenced this year’s election.
With Trump back in the White House, Democrats face tough questions about the decisions that led to this outcome.
Many party members are now reflecting on whether an earlier decision from Biden could have changed the election’s course.
