On Sunday, President Joe Biden announced he would not seek re-election after a tumultuous period capped by his disastrous debate in June. While the official narrative suggests a collective realization within Biden’s inner circle that the party needed new direction, emerging reports hint at a much more dramatic behind-the-scenes confrontation.

Early Saturday, Biden assured senior aides that the campaign was proceeding “full steam ahead.” However, by that evening, after an extensive conversation with his two closest aides, Biden had reversed his decision. Insiders are now pointing to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) as the catalyst behind his abrupt decision to withdraw from the presidential race.

Despite being isolated due to testing positive for Covid, Biden absorbed new, troubling insights, including a slowdown in fundraising efforts and devastating polling data. Facing growing pressure from Democratic party elders and his former Senate colleagues, Biden’s decision to withdraw from the presidential race was shaped significantly by the need to maintain control over the narrative.

The strategic exit allowed him to frame the decision as his own, a crucial consideration for First Lady Jill Biden. She was determined to ensure that the president’s dignity remained intact amidst the escalating pressures.

President Joe Biden presents copies of his State of the Union address to Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi before delivering the address to a joint session of Congress, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

According to insiders, senior aides were on edge anticipating that Pelosi, who had been subtly influencing party dynamics, might publicly reveal Democratic polling results that showed Biden’s precarious position. The move was expected to further catalyze collective action within the party, potentially hastening Biden’s campaign closure.

“Nancy made clear that they could do this the easy way or the hard way,” revealed one Democrat to POLITICO. “She gave them three weeks of the easy way. It was about to be the hard way.”

“We were giving him the respect of the weekend to make his decision. We were hopeful that this is the decision we would make,” the source said. A lawmaker close to the leadership told the outlet that the president had “gone offline” spending time with his family. “He got the message.”

In a series of crucial meetings spread over three days last week, Biden held private discussions with top Democratic leaders, including Pelosi, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY). Schumer even made a discreet visit to Biden’s beach vacation home in Delaware, a visit that remained under the radar until recently.

President Joe Biden, joined by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), participates in a Q&A at the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference, Friday, March 11, 2022, at the Hilton Philadelphia Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

Following the NATO Summit, insiders revealed that Pelosi had privately pressed the president to contemplate stepping down. Within just 24 hours, similar stories surfaced about Schumer’s unpublicized visit, suggesting he had conveyed a comparable advisory to Biden. This all aligned with a Washington Post report indicating that former President Barack Obama was also privately expressing his concerns about the viability of Biden’s campaign.

As the inner circle debated, Democratic operatives were already preparing contingency plans to swiftly adapt to potential changes, but Biden’s abrupt announcement on Sunday caught even them by surprise. On Saturday night, members of Biden’s inner circle firmly told a high-ranking Democrat that the president was resolute in continuing his campaign, stating “no ifs, ands or buts.”

However, when this Democrat followed up on Sunday morning, they reported to POLITICO that there was absolutely no chance Biden would think of exiting the race before his upcoming meeting this week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

One White House official summarized the staff’s reaction to the news as “a lot of crying.” They explained, “People believe Joe Biden is a great president, and they’re sad to see him step aside. Most think he made the right move, but they’re still heartbroken.”

Roughly twenty-four hours after Biden dropped out, Pelosi officially issued her endorsement of Kamala Harris as the party’s next leader.

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