On Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden faced new concerns about his re-election bid from two influential figures who could sway other Democratic lawmakers and financial supporters: Nancy Pelosi and George Clooney.
Former House Speaker Pelosi, a long-time ally of Biden, emphasized the urgency of his decision regarding the 2024 presidential race during an appearance on MSNBC, although she stopped short of explicitly endorsing his run.
In a notable development, Hollywood star Clooney, a Democrat who co-hosted a fundraiser for Biden recently, withdrew his support. In an opinion piece published in the New York Times, Clooney expressed that Biden no longer seemed to be the same person he was in 2020.
Pelosi’s comments, which did not acknowledge Biden’s firm declarations that he intends to stay in the race, indicated that he might face increased pressure from fellow Democrats to reconsider his candidacy.
For nearly two weeks, the 81-year-old president has been trying to prevent defections among Democratic lawmakers, donors, and other allies concerned about his ability to win against Republican Donald Trump, 78, following Biden’s faltering performance in the June 27 debate.
Despite repeatedly asserting his intention to remain the Democratic candidate and his belief in his ability to defeat Trump, Biden has admitted to having an off night at the debate but remains determined to continue his campaign.
Pelosi urged her colleagues on Capitol Hill with reservations about Biden to keep their concerns private while he hosts NATO leaders in Washington this week. She praised Biden’s strong remarks at the NATO summit on Tuesday, calling them “spectacular.”
While Pelosi refrained from explicitly endorsing Biden’s re-election bid, she acknowledged the urgency of his decision-making process, saying, “We’re all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short.”
Biden’s campaign announced that his campaign chair, Jen O’Malley Dillon, along with senior advisers Mike Donilon and Steve Ricchetti, would brief Senate Democrats at a lunch on Thursday.
In response to Pelosi’s and Clooney’s remarks, Biden’s campaign highlighted a letter he sent to Democrats in Congress affirming his commitment to stay in the race and defeat Trump.
On Tuesday, Pelosi reaffirmed her long-standing support for Biden, and on Wednesday, she told ABC News she believed Biden could win in November. When asked at the NATO summit about Pelosi’s support, Biden responded with a triumphant fist gesture.
Nevertheless, other Democrats echoed Pelosi’s sentiments, indicating that Biden’s efforts to quell dissent within his party might not have been entirely successful. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal expressed his concerns about Biden’s ability to win the election.
In Dallas, Vice President Kamala Harris, considered the frontrunner to replace Biden if he steps aside, addressed a crowd of about 19,000 people at an event hosted by the historically Black Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Harris emphasized the significance of the upcoming election, which she described as the most “existential” and consequential of their lifetimes.
In his opinion piece, Clooney expressed his disappointment, stating that the Joe Biden he encountered at a recent fundraiser was not the same person he knew from previous years. Clooney argued that the party would not win the upcoming election with Biden as the candidate and predicted losses in both the House and the Senate.
The Democratic Party remains divided on whether to support Biden or encourage him to step aside due to ongoing questions about his health and acuity. However, public defections remain limited among the 213 Democratic-aligned House members, and the party’s leadership continues to back Biden publicly. No Senate members have publicly suggested that Biden should withdraw, though Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado expressed doubts about Biden’s ability to defeat Trump.
Biden has sought to change the narrative by rallying support from his core constituencies, including Black Democratic lawmakers and voters. His campaign has framed loyalty to Biden as a reciprocal gesture for the support he has shown throughout his extensive public service career.
On Wednesday, Biden received enthusiastic applause when he met with a group of labor leaders, a key part of his political base, at an AFL-CIO executive council meeting in Washington. They discussed their shared commitment to defeating Donald Trump, according to the Biden campaign.
Biden highlighted issues such as high rents, expensive grocery prices, and a lack of housing as priorities for his potential second term. He expressed confidence in the nation’s future, stating, “We’re better positioned than any country in the world to own the remainder of the 21st century because of union labor.”
Labor votes were crucial to Biden’s 2020 victory over Trump in competitive states like Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.
