Nancy Pelosi, who appeared to encourage Biden's exit, speaks at ...
Her comments about his campaign cleared the way for other Democrats to weigh in.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is spoke at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night where she threw her support behind Vice President Kamala Harris -- after appearing to play a significant role in President Joe Biden's exit from the top of the Democratic ticket.
She backed Tim Walz, making his acceptance speech on Day 3 of the Democrats' gathering, knowing him from his time as a congressman before he became Minnesota's governor.
Pelosi, who last month endorsed Harris to be the party's nominee for president, did not publicly call on Biden to withdraw from the race. Instead, Pelosi, in a July 10 interview, declined to directly answer when asked if Biden had her support in his reelection bid after his ruinous debate performance.
"It's up to the president to decide if he is going to run," Pelosi told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" co-host Jonathan Lemire. "We're all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short."
Rep. Nancy Pelosi holds a sign as President Joe Biden speaks during the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago.
Paul Sancya/AP
At the time, Biden had already committed to running for reelection, writing in a statement congressional Democrats days earlier that he was "firmly committed" to staying in the race.
Her comments blunted any progress Biden was trying to make persuading congressional Democrats that he was up for the job. And Pelosi's ambiguous public comments instead created space for rank-and-file Democrats to pressure the president to drop out.
In this March 29, 2022, file photo, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi greets President Joe Biden in the Rotunda at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images, FILE
She and other leading members of the Democratic Party raised concerns that his staying in the race could have a negative impact on Democratic candidates down-ballot.
Ultimately, those pressures helped lead Biden to leave the 2024 race just a few weeks later.
In this May 17, 2022, file photo, Vice President Kamala Harris and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi are shown in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images, FILE
Despite turning over the reins of the Democratic caucus to Rep. Hakeem Jeffries in 2023, Pelosi still has significant influence over members given her unmatched fundraising prowess that's shaped Democratic politics and candidates for decades.
As the first woman to serve as speaker of the House, she has said her support for Harris is "official, personal and political."
"Officially, I have seen Kamala Harris's strength and courage as a champion for working families, notably fighting for a woman's right to choose," Pelosi said in her endorsement of Harris. "Personally, I have known Kamala Harris for decades as rooted in strong values, faith and a commitment to public service. Politically, make no mistake: Kamala Harris as a woman in politics is brilliantly astute – and I have full confidence that she will lead us to victory in November."
