Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has emerged as one of the members of Congress pushing for President Joe Biden to step aside in the 2024 White House race.
What Happened: Just weeks after Biden issued a letter to Democratic leaders stating that he is firmly committed to staying in the race, Pelosi, along with former President Barack Obama, were mostly feeling things out behind closed doors.
Now, both Democratic leaders are reportedly stating their doubts more explicitly.
Pelosi told Biden that polling shows he can't beat Donald Trump in the 2024 election and that his re-election efforts could hurt the Democratic Party's chances of winning the House of Representatives, according to a CNN report.
A source on the call said Biden was "defensive" about the poll data and his odds of defeating Trump.
The report did not indicate whether Pelosi specifically told Biden he should drop out of the race, or if it was a meeting to share data as efforts by members of Congress mounted to urge the president to step aside.
A Pelosi ally told Politico that it could be possible that Pelosi “does not want to call on him to resign, but she will do everything in her power to make sure it happens.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) also reportedly met with Biden and encouraged him to end his re-election bid in private conversations.
Some 21 Democratic members of Congress, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and several other high-profile members, have also come forward asking Biden to step aside.
Biden is now "receptive" about stepping aside in private conversations, and not “as defiant as he is publicly," a Democratic adviser told CNN.
The adviser said conversations about Biden's future are being held in private with member of Congress and his team, with calls for Vice President Kamala Harris to be the party’s nominee.
"He's gone from saying, ‘Kamala can't win,' to ‘Do you think Kamala can win?’ It's still unclear where he's going to land but seems to be listening."
The Biden campaign team has brushed off any notion of the president stepping down.
"If the facts matter – and they should – here is one: President Biden is the Democratic nominee and he is going to win this November," Biden spokesman Kevin Munoz told CNN.
Why It's Important: Calls for Biden to step down are growing as the Republican party makes major moves. Former President Donald Trump announced Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) as his running mate this week.
The Republican National Convention kicked off Monday and has seen calls of unity from Trump and the party and former Trump foes speak in support of his presidential bid.
The Democratic National Convention is set for Aug. 19 through Aug. 22. On Wednesday, the Democratic National Committee confirmed it would not virtually nominate the president, delaying the effort as more time is spent on the issue.
Those who have raised concerns of virtually certifying Biden's nomination weeks before the convention are holding hope that a replacement can be named, according to a report from The Hill.
As of now, the earliest a virtual roll call for Biden's nomination would take place is Aug. 1, with a virtual proceeding planned for Aug. 7. This gives the Democrats around three weeks to select a new nominee.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) questioned holding the virtual roll call ahead of the convention with Biden’s political future in play.
"I think there's a concern shared by all the members of the caucus that we be in as strong a position to not only win the election but to govern, but we're watching carefully to see how the Biden campaign develops," Durbin said. "Credible polls are an important part of our business."
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