Nancy Pelosi Backs Adam Schiff’s Call for Biden to Step Aside
White House officials believe former House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has backed Representative Adam Schiff’s call for President Joe Biden to step aside in the U.S. presidential race. According to a top White House source, Pelosi has told Biden he cannot win the Nov. 5 election.

Schiff’s Concerns
Schiff stated on Wednesday that he has “serious concerns” about Biden’s ability to defeat Republican challenger Donald Trump. This marks the first time a Democrat has spoken out following the Saturday assassination attempt against Trump, in which he sustained a wound to the right ear. Biden’s campaign had hoped the incident would quell calls for him to step aside before Schiff’s statement.

Pelosi’s Influence
“Nancy is all over this. She doesn’t miss. Schiff wouldn’t move without her approval,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Pelosi is “convinced public sentiment is against POTUS (president of the United States) and he can’t change it,” the source added. Neither Pelosi’s office nor the White House responded to requests for comment.

Pelosi’s Leadership
Pelosi, a longstanding influential member of Biden’s party, often quotes from a speech by former President Abraham Lincoln in leadership meetings. In the speech, Lincoln said, “With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed.”

Path to Victory
“I don’t think I would have said he’s getting out of the race,” before the public push from top Democratic leaders, the source said. “I hadn’t seen a single crack from him but now who knows?” The source added, “There is a path to victory, but it’s going to be hard. It will not be easy for Kamala,” referring to Vice President Kamala Harris, who could potentially replace Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee.

Internal Struggles
Democrats are “doing this to ourselves. It is disappointing but we have to get through it, with or without a change to the ticket,” the source said, adding that there is “no other choice.” Some Democratic lawmakers in the House and Senate have previously called on Biden to step aside due to concerns about his fitness for the job at age 81. Both Schiff and Pelosi represent California districts in the House.