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As her time in the White House comes to an end, First Lady Jill Biden reflected on relationships and shared her disappointment with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her role in pressuring President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 race.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Jill Biden opened up about the impact of Pelosi’s actions, which she viewed as a betrayal of their decades-long friendship.
“It’s been on my mind a lot lately,” Jill Biden said. “We were friends for 50 years. It was disappointing.”
Pelosi emerged as a central figure in the Democratic Party's campaign to push Biden out of the race, following his poor performance during a debate in June.
During a July appearance on Morning Joe, Pelosi fueled speculation by stating, “It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run,” despite Biden’s assurances that he would remain in the race.
Jill Biden expressed her dismay at the events. “Let’s just say I was disappointed with how it unfolded,” she said. Pelosi later lamented that Biden should have exited the race sooner after Vice President Kamala Harris’s loss to President-elect Donald Trump.
Reports from The Associated Press revealed that key Democratic figures, including former President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Pelosi, worked behind the scenes to convince Biden to withdraw from the race, citing concerns about his ability to defeat Trump.
Despite this pressure, Jill Biden told The Washington Post she believed her husband was capable of serving another term. “I mean, today, I think he has a full schedule. He started early with interviews and briefings, and it just keeps going,” she said.
However, President Biden himself acknowledged doubts about his capacity to continue. In an interview with USA Today, he said, “Who the hell knows? So far, so good. But who knows what I’m going to be when I’m 86 years old?”
Jill Biden also addressed the controversial decision to pardon their son, Hunter Biden, following mounting Republican scrutiny.
“Joe really wrestled with that decision,” she shared. “We started with him saying he wasn’t going to pardon Hunter. But then, I think things changed. Circumstances changed, and it became quite apparent and obvious that the Republicans weren’t going to stop.”
As the Bidens prepare to leave the White House, Jill Biden’s reflections shed light on the political and personal challenges they faced during their tenure, offering a glimpse into the complexities of their time in the nation’s highest office.
