Nancy Pelosi, the former Democratic House Speaker, revealed that she has not spoken to President Joe Biden since advising him against running for re-election. In a recent interview with Jonathan Freedland on the Politics Weekly America podcast, Pelosi expressed her respect for Biden, describing him as “one of the great consequential presidents of our country.”
Pelosi’s decision to advise Biden against re-election was driven by her desire to protect his legacy, which she believed was at risk due to the direction of the 2024 election. “My call was just to: ‘Let’s get on a better course,'” she explained. “He will make the decision as to what that is. And he made that decision.”
Despite their decades-long friendship, Pelosi acknowledged that Biden may be experiencing unease about her advice. “Elections are decisions,” she said. “You decide to win. I decided a while ago that Donald Trump would never set foot in the White House again as president of the United States or in any other capacity.”
Pelosi also revealed that she has a peculiar aversion to uttering Trump’s name, likening it to a profanity. “I hardly ever say his name,” she said. “I think it’s a grotesque word…You just don’t like the word passing your lips.” Pelosi’s aversion to Trump’s name is rooted in her Catholic upbringing, where saying a bad word could result in spiritual punishment.
Pelosi’s reluctance to say Trump’s name is not just a matter of personal preference, but also a reflection of her strong feelings about his presidency. “It’s up there with, like, swearing,” she added, suggesting that using Trump’s name is a taboo that she avoids at all costs. By not speaking to Biden since advising him against re-election, Pelosi has sent a clear signal about her priorities and the choices she believes are necessary to protect the Democratic Party’s interests.
