Nancy Pelosi privately told Biden he can't beat Trump in presidential race

In a recent private conversation, former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi cautioned President Joe Biden that polling data suggests he cannot defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election. Pelosi expressed concerns that Biden’s pursuit of a second term could jeopardise the Democrats’ chances of retaining the House in November, reported CNN citing sources.

Biden reportedly pushed back, saying that he had seen polls indicating he could win. According to sources, Biden became defensive about the poll results during the discussion. At one point, Pelosi even asked Mike Donilon, Biden’s long-time adviser, to join the call to review the data.

This phone call marks the second known conversation between Pelosi and Biden since the President’s troubled debate performance on June 27. The exact date of the latest conversation remains unclear, but sources say that it occurred within the last week. The duo also spoke in early July.

None of the sources confirmed whether Pelosi explicitly told Biden that he should consider withdrawing from the 2024 race. However, Pelosi has been actively listening to her colleagues’ concerns since the debate. In an interview last week, Pelosi said, “It’s up to the President [Biden] to decide if he is going to run. We’re all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short.”

Biden vs Trump: The debate
 

CNN hosted the first presidential debate between Donald Trump, and Joe Biden. The debate covered key issues such as inflation, immigration, abortion rights, and foreign policy, aiming to influence voters ahead of the November 5 election. The debate imposed strict speaking limits, prohibited notes, and was held without an audience to ensure no reactions.

According to a CNN poll conducted after the debate, 67 per cent of viewers believed that Trump won, while 33 per cent thought Biden emerged victorious. This contrasts sharply with CNN’s poll after the final 2020 presidential debate, where 53 per cent felt Biden won, compared to 39 per cent for Trump.

Voters expressed a lack of confidence in Biden’s leadership, with 55 per cent expecting Trump to perform better than Biden before the debate. This sentiment was reflected in the aftermath, as TV debates have historically impacted candidates’ fortunes, dating back to the pivotal 1960 debate where John F Kennedy outperformed Richard Nixon.
 

The New York Times also declared Trump the winner of the debate. Columnist Josh Barro said, “Joe Biden failed at his key task: showing voters he’s still cut out for the presidency. In the first 20 minutes, he was especially disastrous: mumbling, at times incoherent, and seeming really, really old. Trump seemed more normal than usual — enough for a clear win.”

Michelle Goldberg, a columnist for The New York Times, commented, “Trump, God help us. He spouted a firehose of preposterous lies, but Biden was too incoherent to capitalise on any of it. Biden looked ancient and sounded lost. There will now be a new chorus of cries for him to drop out, and I’ll be joining it.”

Debate exposed contrast in candidates

On social media platform X, observers highlighted Trump’s strong performance and thorough answers, contrasting with Biden’s perceived confusion during the debate.
 

CNN political commentator Alyssa Farah Griffin wrote, “CNN Flash poll: 57 per cent of viewers of tonight’s debate have no confidence in Biden’s ability to lead the country. Stunning number of voters who witnessed his performance with their own eyes.”
 

Former CNN commentator Chris Cillizza added, “Look. This debate was a total and complete disaster for Biden. He looked old. His answers trailed off repeatedly. He was hard to understand. He would stop mid-sentence and move on to something else. I never thought he would be this bad. Stunning. Truly.”
 

Despite these criticisms, Biden’s team defended his performance. Vice President Kamala Harris told CNN, “It was a slow start but a strong finish." First Lady Jill Biden, however, praised the President on stage after the debate, saying, “Joe, you did such a good job! You answered every question and knew all the facts.”
 

Nevertheless, several Democratic Party leaders voiced deep concern over Biden’s debate performance. Jay Surdukowski, an attorney and Democratic activist from New Hampshire, told Politico, “Biden is toast - calling it now.”