Pelosi doubles down on support for Harris candidacy after rift with Biden: ‘Country is very happy’

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) deflected criticism from Democrats upset over her role in ending President Joe Biden’s reelection bid. 

After meeting with hundreds of California delegates ahead of Biden’s prime-time address to his party on the first night of the Democratic National Convention, Pelosi defended her actions leading up to the president’s historic campaign exit. 

“If they’re upset, I’m sorry for them, but the country is very happy,” Pelosi told reporters, according to the Sacramento Bee, after being questioned about Democratic colleagues upset that she was rumored to be behind the charge to oust Biden. 

“I just wanted to win this election,” she reflected. Pelosi endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris “with immense pride” to be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee the day after Biden dropped out.

Earlier this month, Pelosi told the press she had shed tears and lost sleep over the status of her relationship with Biden since he dropped his reelection bid. As she met with a small pool of reporters, Pelosi confirmed she had not spoken to her friend of 40 years since he told the country he would not be seeking reelection. 

Days before those comments, the speaker emerita was asked if “everything was OK” with her relationship with Biden, to which Pelosi replied, “You’d have to ask him.” 

“I hope so,” she added. 

After Biden’s first presidential debate left the Democratic camp blazing with fears his campaign was doomed, Washington, D.C., was rife with rumors that Pelosi was coordinating behind the scenes to boot the party’s presumed nominee.  

In a series of comments to the media after the president’s historic campaign exit, the former House speaker deflected questions about her role in convincing Biden to step down and refused to deny she had directly voiced concerns to her longtime friend that he would lose to former President Donald Trump on Election Day.