CHICAGO — Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California has distinguished herself in many ways over the course of her long political career: as a highly successful lawmaker, a legendary power broker and the first female Speaker of the House of Representatives in U.S. history.
But when the Democrat from California takes the stage on Wednesday evening to speak at the Democratic National Convention, she will stand out for another reason: Of the many speakers at this year’s event, no one is likely to have a greater stake in ensuring that Vice President Harris, rather than President Biden, will emerge victorious in November’s presidential election.
It was Pelosi who worked feverishly behind the scenes – and more subtly in public – to urge Biden to reconsider his determination to remain the Democratic nominee after a disastrous debate performance against former President Trump in delayed June. That episode disheartened the party’s base, discouraged donors and undermined the party’s chances of retaining control of the White House – and capturing the House of Representatives in the election.
Pelosi’s allies said it was a grueling decision for the former speaker, who helped Biden pass some of the most consequential legislation in decades in the early years of his first term.
But her affection for the president collided with the frigid, challenging reality that Biden was dragging down the popular vote—and boosting Trump’s chances of a second term. This awakened Pelosi’s killer instinct for victory and made her overcome any reservations about burning bridges.
“Speaker Pelosi has always been about one thing: winning. To bring good to America, she is about winning,” said Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.). “She is the daughter of the mayor of Baltimore. She knows how to win, and I think that’s why she made the very painful decision to recognize the fact that President Biden probably couldn’t win.”
Biden’s resignation, of course, came after he faced pressure to withdraw from a wide range of allies, from Democratic lawmakers and deep-pocketed donors to union leaders and Hollywood stars. And Pelosi has rejected the claim that she had unique influence in removing Biden from the ballot – an argument echoed by some of her allies on Capitol Hill.
“I don’t think she’s going to fall into the trap of owning this narrative that she was the godmother who threw Joe Biden under the bus or anything like that,” Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) said in a prediction of Pelosi’s speech to the convention on Wednesday. “I don’t think she’s going to take credit for that, either directly or indirectly.”
But even if Pelosi did not necessarily push Biden to leave, she certainly paved the way for him to do so.
“President Biden needed the space, the room to come to the realization that the party was not capable of winning this election at this point,” said Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.). “I’ve talked to some other members, including Nancy, that he needed the space to come to the conclusion whether it would be good for the country if he stayed and then put an end to his legacy. Because then – for all his accomplishments – he won’t be remembered as someone who brought down the party.”
The most notable example of Pelosi’s “space-making” strategy came in an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” in early July, when she refused to explicitly endorse Biden, saying instead that the president had yet to decide whether to run for re-election – a remark that raised many eyebrows, as Biden had insisted that the decision had already been made: He was staying in the race.
Biden was working feverishly to secure support on Capitol Hill at the time and was making great progress, winning the support of virtually every member of the Congressional Black Caucus, an enormously powerful group within the broader Democratic caucus, and the wind seemed to be shifting in his direction.
Pelosi’s “Morning Joe” remarks halted that momentum almost immediately. They sent a tacit signal to fellow lawmakers that public reservations about Biden’s candidacy were not taboo. And they transformed the torrent of Democrats calling for the president to step down into something more substantive.
Some lawmakers said Pelosi would not have had the same persuasive power had she left Congress after relinquishing the top leadership post early last year. The decision was unusual, marking a break with previous leaders such as former Speakers John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin), who left the Capitol after relinquishing power. And it gave Pelosi the freedom to take steps she might not have otherwise taken while maintaining the respect of a caucus she led for the first two decades of the modern millennium.
This unique blend of empowerment and authority helped Pelosi play a key role in bringing about Biden’s departure, while also protecting the modern House leaders — most notably House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) — from taking a more aggressive stance that would have highlighted tensions among leading Democrats.
“She’s been brilliant in her time after her tenure as speaker, especially last month when she helped the president resign. She’s taken some of the criticism while some of the other Democratic leaders have been able to operate more behind the scenes,” said Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.). “I’m not sure how well coordinated they were, but I think she’s done a great job for us and the party.”
“She stayed for a reason,” Himes reiterated. “She stayed to help Hakeem Jeffries and, as she puts it, to fight Donald Trump.”
Pelosi’s extraordinary power play has undoubtedly strained personal relations with Biden and his team. These tensions, her allies say, are the unfortunate consequences of a decision that served a higher purpose: preventing Republicans from gaining a monopoly of power next year.
“Nancy cares deeply about the House, and the possibility or thought that we wouldn’t be able to win the House – or the White House – really scared her,” Velázquez said. “Of course there will be some feelings in the beginning. But I think President Joe Biden is better than that. He’s an incredible human being. I think those feelings could get to this point where people are moving forward for the good of the country and democracy.
“It wasn’t easy, believe me,” she continued. “We all suffered.”
Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Florida), another Pelosi ally, was with the former speaker at a meeting of the Democratic Women’s Caucus this week. She predicted Pelosi would operate the podium Wednesday night to praise Biden and thank him for his decades of service. But Frankel also suggested Pelosi is showing some signs of melancholy as Biden prepares to pass the torch to Harris.
“I think you feel sorry for Joe,” Frankel said.
Pelosi’s office declined to comment, citing a busy schedule in Chicago.
Biden, for his part, said he had not spoken to the former speaker and avoided a question about lingering bad feelings.
“No, I have not spoken to her,” Biden told reporters on Monday evening after his keynote speech at the convention. “Nobody made my decision but me. Nobody knew it was coming.”
Former senior Biden adviser Anita Dunn told CNN this week that “nobody wants to have a fight with Nancy Pelosi right now.” When asked to respond, Pelosi waved it off, saying the “country is very lucky.”
It’s unclear what message Pelosi will deliver Wednesday night, but allies predict that while she will include praise for Biden, she will focus much more on the party’s future in the form of Harris.
“She will talk about his legacy and his accomplishments,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Connecticut), a close Pelosi ally. “It’s also about looking at where the future of the country is going.”
“She will talk about that.”
In the wake of the upheaval of recent weeks, reports have emerged suggesting there is tension between the two Golden State heavyweights — with roots in decades of esoteric California politics. But Pelosi has denied any rift and quickly endorsed Harris’s rise, and others have dismissed the notion of ongoing discord.
“I was in the room when some of these conversations took place, which some people interpreted as [Pelosi] not to be for Kamala. And I just think those were always bad judgements,” Huffman said.
“I think she thinks very highly of Kamala Harris, and I would predict that her speech will focus heavily on Kamala Harris.”
