Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi privately raised concerns to Biden campaign: report

However, both the former president and the former speaker are unsure about the next step.

There is an urgent need to end the current infighting within the Democratic Party and refocus on defeating former President Trump.

Party members are appealing to Obama or Pelosi to guide them, as they believe Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer does not have Biden's confidence and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries does not have a strong enough relationship with Biden to effectively deliver key messages.

CNN, citing its discussions with more than a dozen members of Congress, activists and people in contact with both Obama and Pelosi, reports that there is a consensus: The end of Biden's candidacy appears inevitable, and discussions are still raging after Thursday night's news conference about how that will play out. If it's different than what Obama and Pelosi believe, several prominent Democrats argue they must communicate it clearly and as soon as possible to minimize the damage just months before the election.

Many of Pelosi's allies are counting on her to resolve the turmoil within the party. A significant portion believes a solution will emerge if she advises Biden to withdraw from the race. Pelosi has spoken to Biden since the debate, but has indicated through an aide that she does not consider Biden's decision to stay in the race final. She declined to comment further.

Obama, on the other hand, has refrained from making any public comments for two weeks, leaving many prominent Democrats feeling alienated by his generally non-dramatic stance. After the debate, he posted on X, “Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know,” a sentiment he reiterated at a New York fundraiser for House Democrats.

According to CNN, it was a coordinated effort between Biden and Obama aides aimed at drawing parallels with Obama's own acrimonious debates during his 2012 re-election campaign, which did not hurt his campaign.

Obama's growing skepticism about Biden's ability to win re-election is an open secret in Washington. When historians examine this remarkable two-week period in American politics, the impact of Obama and Pelosi, who served as guides for a party in crisis, will be more evident.

“They are watching President Biden and waiting for his own decision,” said one Democrat close to both Obama and Pelosi, who asked not to be named. The Biden campaign has declined to comment on the matter.

While Pelosi's spokesmen don't deny that she and Obama have discussed Biden, they insist that no member of Congress would be privy to such conversations. Obama has been more of a listener than a talker in conversations with worried Democratic donors and officials, and has avoided any concrete positions that could be leaked.

His approach was similar in his conversation with Biden after the debate, where he took the role of a “sounding board and personal counsel”, probing without taking a firm position and playing devil's advocate.

Some Democrats said in the past two weeks that Obama dismissed the idea that he could influence Biden's decision, reflecting their long-standing but complicated relationship. The two have spoken little since he left office, according to some of his advisers.

If Obama does force Biden to step down, it could be viewed through the lens of their past relationship. For example, Biden may still feel Obama did not support him enough when he considered entering the 2016 Democratic primaries after the death of his son Beau. Obama's intention then was to help Biden focus on his grief rather than facing a tough primary against Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, but other interactions may not be understood the same way, CNN reported.

One longtime aide involved in the 2020 campaign predicted that “Biden will say, ‘Well, Mr. President, you already used that chip in 2015 and that got us Donald Trump.’” “I think that will make him even tougher.”

Obama is also wary of giving Trump any new material by getting actively involved. In past instances, such as the 2020 Democratic primary, Obama has positioned himself as a unifying figure who validates the party's direction. So far, he has not committed to playing that role in the current turmoil around Biden's candidacy.

Obama has endorsed Biden at two fundraising events this year, including one in Los Angeles last month where George Clooney later expressed concern about Biden's condition. Biden traveled across five time zones overnight to attend a G-7 meeting, which Obama also questioned on his way there.

Clooney wrote in an essay in The New York Times, “He was the same guy we all saw in the debates,” which urged Biden to step aside. The essay angered some Biden loyalists, who suspected Obama was behind Clooney's article. Obama, who was friendly with Clooney, knew about the essay but did not stop it, maintaining neutrality according to some supporters, while Biden loyalists saw it as a betrayal.

Obama spent more time with Biden than Clooney during the event, and some attributed Biden's condition to jet lag. An Obama aide declined to comment on whether that was still an assessment of Biden's condition.

Pelosi took a significant step by casting doubt on Biden's candidacy on MSNBC's “Morning Joe” program Wednesday morning. Though privately she advised her colleagues not to embarrass Biden while the NATO leader was in town, her comments prompted more Democrats to call on Biden to step down.

Pelosi has known Biden for decades and is one of his most staunch supporters, so her position is unique. Right now, she could prove to be the most important Democratic leader if Biden leaves office. “In a situation like this, especially generationally, she's the only person who has the credibility to take on something so sensitive and important,” one House Democrat said.

Pelosi plans to return to San Francisco on Friday, CNN reported, leaving the Democratic Party in a state of uncertainty and search for leadership during this turbulent time.