Washington, DC [US], July 18 : Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in a private conversation with US President Joe Biden, told him the polling shows that the president cannot defeat Donald Trump, reported CNN, citing four sources.
The former House Speaker said that Biden could destroy the Democrats' chance of winning the House in November if he continues seeking a second term.
President Biden, however, responded by pushing back, and told Pelosi that he has seen polls that indicate he can win, one source stated.
Another source described Biden as getting defensive about the polls, as reported by CNN.
However, at one point, Nancy Pelosi asked Biden's longtime adviser, Mike Donilon, to get on the line to talk over the data.
This phone call between Pelosi and Biden marks the second known conversation since the US President's disastrous debate on June 27.
While the exact date of the conversation was not clear, one source described it as being within the last week, as reported by CNN.
Reportedly, the former US House Speaker has spent the weeks following the debate listening to concerns from her colleagues.
In an interview last week, Pelosi said, "It's 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."
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said, "President Biden is the nominee of the party. He plans to win and looks forward to working with congressional Democrats to pass his 100-day agenda to help working families," reported CNN.
However, a Pelosi spokesperson highlighted that the former House speaker has been in California since Friday and she has not spoken to Biden since.
Last week, former US President Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi had privately expressed 'concerns' about Joe Biden's 2024 campaign, highlighting the increasing 'difficulty' they foresee in his chances against Donald Trump, CNN reported.
There is an urgent desperation within the Democratic Party to end the current infighting and refocus on defeating former president Trump.
Party members are appealing to either Obama or Pelosi to guide them, recognising that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer lacks Biden's trust and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries doesn't have a strong enough relationship with Biden to effectively deliver critical messages.
Many of Pelosi's colleagues are looking to her to resolve the turmoil within the party. A significant portion believes that resolution will come if and when she advises Biden to withdraw from the race.
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