TIME TO JOE
Top Dem claims Joe Biden’s letter staying in race ‘didn’t sound like him’ as president says he was pushed to stand down
President Biden explained why he ultimately decided to drop out
FORMER House Speaker and Representative Nancy Pelosi recently spoke out on the rollercoaster ride the Democrats have had this summer.
President Biden ended his re-election bid on July 21 and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to run as the Democratic nominee.
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Although mounting calls for Biden to step aside ensued for weeks, the announcement shocked many as the president previously stood firm on his decision to pursue a second term.
On July 8, just two weeks before he dropped out of the race, Biden penned a letter to Democrats assuring his intent to continue his campaign.
Pelosi had been a longtime supporter of Biden, but reportedly called the president after the letter was sent expressing her concern about his ability to win.
She also questioned whether his polling would impact the chances of House Democrats winning in November.
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It comes as...
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In a recent interview with the New York Times, Pelosi addressed the letter and admitted it didn't sound like Biden.
"I didn’t accept the letter as anything but a letter,” she said.
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Pelosi added that some Democrats were "unhappy" with the letter, and quickly reiterated that she wasn't the one who expressed that sentiment.
“Let me say it differently. Some said that some people were unhappy with the letter," Pelosi clarified.
"I’ll put it in somebody else’s mouth. It didn’t sound like Joe Biden to me. It really didn’t."
Kamala Harris officially secures Democratic nomination for president in unprecedented process after Biden dropped out
Biden's letter had pushed back on Democrats questioning his decision to stay in the race as he stood firm that he earned 14 million primary votes.
"This was a process open to anyone who wanted to run," the letter read.
"Only three people chose to challenge me. One fared so badly that he left the primaries to run as an independent.
"Another attacked me for being too old and was soundly defeated."
Biden was referring to primary challengers Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Marianne Williamson.
"The voters of the Democratic party have voted. They have chosen me to be the nominee of the party," he added.
Biden then questioned Democrats on whether the primary process matters to them and urged that voters have a say.
Despite the confidence in the letter, Biden backpedaled his claims and endorsed Harris' run without a primary election just weeks later.
Timeline of Biden's failed re-election bid
President Joe Biden endured weeks of calls to step aside before he announced on July 21 that he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential race. Here are key developments leading up to his decision.
June 27: Biden's disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump sparks calls for him to step aside. His voice is raspy and he trails off several times after having already endured questions about his age and mental capacity following a series of blunders at public events.
July 2: Polls after the debate indicate that Trump is pulling ahead. Rep. Lloyd Doggett is the first Democratic congressman to publicly urge Biden to drop his bid for re-election and big Democratic donors issue the same call a day later.
July 5: Biden does a live TV interview with George Stephanopoulos where he tries to quell fears about his age and debate performance. He calls it a "bad night" and says he was under the weather and "exhausted."
July 10: Senator Peter Welch becomes the first senator to call for Biden to drop out.
July 11: Biden refers to Ukrainian President Zelensky as President Putin at a NATO event.
July 13: Trump is shot at a campaign rally by a wannabe assassin. His popularity and favorability rating soar after he was seen bloodied on stage but walked off with a fist in the air, telling the crowd to "fight!"
July 17: Rep Adam Schiff and a series of other Democrats call for Biden to step aside and even former President Barack Obama tells allies that Biden's path to victory has "greatly diminished." Biden tests positive for Covid-19 hours later, after saying he would consider ending his bid if he were diagnosed with "some medical issue."
July 19: Biden insists he will continue campaigning in his first statement since Obama's U-turn - despite reports that he would decide to drop out by the weekend.
July 21: Just before 2 pm, Biden announces he is stepping aside in the 2024 election and endorses VP Kamala Harris.
BIDEN EXPLAINS
Biden sat down on Sunday morning for his first interview since withdrawing from the presidential race on CBS.
He was asked about the dramatic shift from when he wrote the letter to when he announced his decision to withdraw.
"The polls we had showed it was a neck and neck race. It would've been down to the wire," Biden explained.
"What happened was 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 that if I stayed in the race that would be the topic," he continued.
Biden went on to explain that if he stayed in the race, he'd be forced to respond to Democrats' concerns instead of focusing on the issues, name-dropping Pelosi in his response.
He affirmed his belief that he was a transitional president and explained that he stayed in the race initially to defeat Donald Trump.
Biden added that his debate against Trump, which first ignited questions on his fitness to run, was a "bad day."
He explained that he wasn't struggling with any serious medical conditions and would be out on the campaign trail with Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz.
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BIDEN-PELOSI CONTROVERSY
Biden's relationship with Pelosi was speculated to be on the rocks when she privately urged him to step aside.
Pelosi's call with Biden reportedly became heated when the president pushed back at her claims that he couldn't win in November.
Sources told CNN at the time that Biden became defensive and disagreed with Pelosi on polling.
Two days after Biden sent the letter she appeared on MSNBC's Morning Joe and gave a lukewarm response in support of his presidential run.
"It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run," she said.
"We’re all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short."
The broadcasters were confused about her comments as Biden had already made clear his intent to run.
VP Kamala Harris' full statement as Biden drops out of 2024 race and endorses her
“On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country. His remarkable legacy of accomplishment is unmatched in modern American history, surpassing the legacy of many Presidents who have served two terms in office.
“It is a profound honor to serve as his Vice President, and I am deeply grateful to the President, Dr. Biden, and the entire Biden family. I first came to know President Biden through his son Beau. We were friends from our days working together as Attorneys General of our home states. As we worked together, Beau would tell me stories about his Dad. The kind of father—and the kind of man—he was. And the qualities Beau revered in his father are the same qualities, the same values, I have seen every single day in Joe’s leadership as President: His honesty and integrity. His big heart and commitment to his faith and his family. And his love of our country and the American people.
“With this selfless and patriotic act, President Biden is doing what he has done throughout his life of service: putting the American people and our country above everything else.
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination. Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party—and unite our nation—to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.
“We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.”
CAN THE RELATIONSHIP SURVIVE?
Pelosi opened up last week to the New Yorker on her friendship with Biden and her stance on his decision to drop out.
She said that she loved him, adding, "I really wanted him to make a decision for a better campaign, because they were not facing the fact of what was happening."
"We couldn’t see it go down the drain, because Trump was going to be President and then he was going to take the House."
"I’ve never been that impressed with his political operation," she added.
Pelosi denied claims that she called other Democratic leaders and clarified that they called her.
“I never called one person, but people were calling me saying that there was a challenge there. So there had to be a change in the leadership of the campaign, or what would come next," she said.
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She also revealed that she hasn't talked to Biden since he dropped out of the race and hoped that their friendship would survive.
When asked if she thought the president was angry with her, she replied, “I don’t know. We haven’t had a conversation."