Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) got testy with a reporter who questioned her about President Joe Biden’s future, although she admitted that she believes he can win.
“I’m not having this conversation with you or anybody else about what I talk to the president about, with all due respect,” Pelosi told ABC Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott as they walked down a hallway.
“Do you believe that– ” the reporter said as Pelosi interrupted, “I never do.”
“Do you believe that him waiting so long– ” the reporter continued as Pelosi became visibly grumpy, stating that she would not make comments about the “fate of our nation” in the hallway.
When asked if she was concerned about whether Biden can win in November, Pelosi said she believes he can. However, as the reporter pressed, Pelosi stopped and snapped, “Am I speaking English to you? I’m not going to be making any statements about any of that right now in the hallway.”
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After Biden’s poor debate performance, Pelosi walked the line, not definitively endorsing Biden moving forward. For instance, just days after Biden’s debate performance, Pelosi appeared on MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports, where she said it was a “legitimate question” to ask whether Biden’s debate performance was an episode or a condition.
Before making that remark, Pelosi bragged about her experience with Biden, claiming that they saved the country with their rescue package.
“We have all these things that he was masterful in helping to write and to pass. He has a vision. He has knowledge. He has judgment. He has strategic thinking and the rest. He had a bad night,” Pelosi said.
“Again, I think it’s a legitimate question to say, is this an episode or is this a condition?” she continued, softening the blow by adding that it is legitimate to ask of “both candidates.”
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Following that remark, with Pelosi treading carefully and declining to definitively endorse Biden moving forward, the president called the former speaker in apparent hopes of securing her support of him remaining in the race amid widespread panic among Democrats.
Pelosi has since made waves by telling MSNBC this week that it is “up to the president to decide if he is going to run.”
“We’re all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short,” she said.
“I think overwhelming support of the caucus — it’s not for me to say; I’m not the head of the caucus anymore — but he’s beloved, he is respected, and people want him to make that decision,” Pelosi said, adding that she wants Biden to “do whatever he decides to do.”
“Whatever he decides, we go with. I think it’s really important and I would hope everyone would join in. Let him deal with this NATO conference. This is a very big deal,” she said, explaining that she urged her colleagues to hold off on their decision until the NATO conference is over.
“Either tell somebody privately — but you don’t have to put that out on the table until we see how we go this week. But I’m very proud of the president,” she said of Biden, who has made it clear that he does not intend to step down.