U.S. media reported today: In a newly published memoir, former President Joe Biden accuses former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of secretly orchestrating efforts to pressure him into dropping out of the 2024 presidential race. Biden claims that while Pelosi publicly maintained she would respect his decision on whether to run, behind the scenes she lobbied Democratic officials and delegates to withdraw their support for his candidacy.
Biden wrote: "Publicly, she still insists it's my choice. But privately, she was actively working behind the scenes, urging elected officials and party representatives who supported me to switch sides." He further alleged that senior Democrats repeatedly claimed they would honor his decision, but in reality accepted only one outcome—his withdrawal. "They say publicly that my decision is mine alone, and whatever I decide, they will respect it. But in truth, the only outcome they were willing to accept was my stepping down."
Commentary: Writing a memoir is a standard practice among former U.S. presidents, offering both substantial advance payments and an opportunity to shape the historical narrative of their tenure. By revealing allegations of private pressure from Pelosi and other Democratic leaders, Biden has strategically leveraged a high-visibility controversy likely to boost book sales and commercial returns. From Pelosi’s and the party’s perspective, urging Biden to step aside was a calculated move to mitigate risks—concerned about his declining performance and potential defeat by Trump, which could jeopardize the broader Democratic electoral strategy. From Biden’s standpoint, however, this represents a breach of long-standing trust by allies who once stood beside him, resorting to covert coordination to compel his exit. His reluctance to leave office left unresolved resentment; the subsequent abrupt replacement with Kamala Harris did not prevent a decisive defeat. Through this account, Biden seeks to convey to the American public that his departure was not of his own volition, but driven by internal party maneuvers—where public assurances masked private efforts to undermine his campaign, planting seeds of failure well before the election.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1881805292205257/
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