WASHINGTON (AFP) – Democratic Party heavyweight Nancy Pelosi said yesterday time is running out for United States (US) President Joe Biden to make a final decision on his reelection bid, but stressed the call was his to make.
Despite Biden insisting he is staying in the race, Pelosi – the former speaker of the House of Representatives and an influential voice in the party – suggested the president still could step aside amid a Democratic divide over his candidacy.
“It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run,” she told MSNBC. “We’re all encouraging him to make that decision because the time is running short.”
Pelosi stopped short of advocating either way on the Biden question.
“I want him to do whatever he decides to do, and that’s the way it is,” she said. “Whatever he decides, we go with.”
Biden, 81, has coralled much-needed support from some top Democrats, but several lawmakers in the party have publicly expressed concerns about his mental fitness after his disastrous debate performance last month against White House challenger Donald Trump.