"The president must make up his own mind" whether to remain in the election race, said the Honorary Speaker of the House of Representatives in the United States, Nancy Pelosi, the Associated Press reported. Joe Biden still insists he wants to remain the Democratic nominee, despite wavering on the issue among prominent members of his party and in Congress.
"We are all encouraging him to make a decision because time is running out," Pelosi said today on MSNBC. Her opinion was closely watched to signal what Democrats in the party's upper echelons think about Biden's imperiled candidacy, and her comments are seen as important to the direction of the party as it weighs possible alternatives in the campaign against Republican Donald Trump, quoted from BTA.
Due to her powerful position as a former speaker of the House of Representatives and her closeness to Biden as a trusted longtime ally of his generation, Pelosi is seen as one of the few Democratic leaders who could influence the president's thinking.
Asked if she personally wants Biden to be on the ballot while he defiantly insists he remains in the race, Pelosi said, "I want him to do whatever he decides.
Her lack of full support for the continuation of Biden's campaign is what lawmakers are likely to pay most attention to, suggesting that despite the president's insistence that he will not step down, in his party there is no determination about his candidacy.
Pelosi said Biden “is a great president” who is loved and respected by House Democrats. She indicated that she observed his “loud speech” at the NATO summit yesterday and that while foreign leaders are in Washington this week, she has encouraged Democrats to "just abstain" from any statements about his campaign.
"Whatever you think, tell someone in private, but you shouldn't put it on the table until we see how it goes this week," she said.
Democrats are torn about whether to continue backing Biden after his poor performance in last month's presidential debate with Trump and his campaign's lack of response to their pleas for Biden to show voters he is ready for another four-year term mandate.