Washington [US], July 19: CNN on July 18 quoted informed sources as saying that former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently had a private conversation with President Biden. She is said to have said that polls show that Biden
cannot defeat his opponent Donald Trump , and that if he continues to run, it will affect the Democrats' chances of winning in the House of Representatives.
Biden defended his position and countered that there were polls showing he could win, the source said. At one point, Pelosi called in Mike Donilon, a former senior adviser to President Biden, to discuss the data.
This is the second known conversation between Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden since the June debate. No sources said whether the former House Speaker told Biden to drop out of the race.
White House spokesman Andrew Bates declined to comment on the details of the call, noting that President Biden is the Democratic nominee. Pelosi's spokesman said she has been in California since July 12 and has not spoken to Biden since then.
Another important Democratic figure, former President Barack Obama, recently told allies that Mr. Biden's chances of winning have significantly decreased and that the incumbent President should seriously consider running, The Washington Post on July 18 quoted informed sources.
Mr. Obama called President Biden once after the debate, emphasizing that only Mr. Biden could decide the next direction in the election, refuting the argument that former US President Obama could influence the decision of his former deputy.
President Biden has publicly stated that he will not withdraw. On July 17, he had to cut short his campaign schedule in Las Vegas, Nevada, after testing positive for Covid-19.
The Democratic leaders of the US Senate and House of Representatives spoke directly to Mr. Biden last week and expressed concerns about the President's influence on congressional races.
The Hill reported on July 18 that President Biden could make a major announcement about his future after the Republican National Convention ends. Democratic lawmakers believe that Vice President Kamala Harris will become the candidate if Mr. Biden withdraws.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper