The former President of the Chamber of Deputies, Nancy Pelosi, from California, spoke with the president Joe Biden on Saturday about the fallout from his disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump and how it is damaging his legacy, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter, CNBC reports.
A day later, Mr. Biden announced on social media that he was dropping out of the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.
The phone call between the two was described as “cordial” by the source, and it is unclear whether the two spoke on Sunday, the same day Biden made the decision to drop out of the race.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., spoke with Biden this afternoon, according to NBC News.
When did he make the decision to retire?
Biden told his leadership team he had changed his mind about staying in the race at 1:45 p.m. Sunday, according to a source who spoke to NBC News. Biden has previously said he has no plans to drop out of the race, despite calls from Democrats in the House and Senate to drop out.
Spokespeople for Pelosi and Biden did not respond to requests for comment. Pelosi praised Biden in a statement after he dropped out of the race.
“His legacy of vision, values and leadership make him one of the most influential presidents in American history,” Pelosi said Sunday. “With love and gratitude to President Biden for always believing in the promise of America and giving people the opportunity to realize its promise.”
For Pelosi, the phone call came after the former Speaker of the House of Representatives allegedly told Biden that the pollsof his attempt to debate against Trump show that he was unable to defeat the former president and if he stays in the race, he could destroy the Democrats’ chances of winning the House of Representatives in November.
It’s not yet clear whether Pelosi will support Harris.