Biden, Battling Nancy Pelosi Pressure Tactics, Gets Hillary Clinton’s Help

President Joe Biden, battling a behind-the-scenes campaign led by former speaker Nancy Pelosi to abandon his reelection bid, appears to be getting unexpected support from a former rival—former first lady and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Biden, who famously resents being asked to step aside as the sitting vice president to make way for Clinton’s losing 2016 presidential bid, is facing a full-blown revolt among party donors and elected officials in swing states and districts after a catastrophic debate performance against Donald Trump.

And yet, as his campaign’s cash flow begins to dry up, Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton are asking donors to support Biden, Politico and CNN reported Saturday.

Biden and his top advisers have insisted he is not dropping out of the race—defiant over the calls to drop out and pushing back against the shifting polls toward Trump and Republicans in critical swing states.

Meanwhile, CNN and Politico reported on Saturday that the Clintons have been privately encouraging donors to continue backing Biden’s campaign. According to CNN, one source said the Clintons are choosing to be “deferential to Biden’s decision.”

However, another source who has spoken with the Clintons in recent days said the couple is more accurately, “deferential to the process.” CNN reported that this same source did not state whether the Clintons have expressed a personal view on whether Biden should continue seeking a second term.

Newsweek has emailed the Biden campaign and Pelosi’s office, along with spokespersons for Bill and Hillary Clinton, for comment for this article.

What Is in the Latest Federal Election Commission filings?

The latest reports concerning major Democratic power brokers comes amid reports that many high-powered party donors have halted or slowed their flow of campaign funds to the Biden campaign. There is growing concern among Democrats over continued fundraising support after anxious donors expressed serious worries about Biden’s debate performance and the future of the party.

According to the latest Federal Election Commission (FEC) tallies released Saturday, the Biden campaign said it raised $127 million in June, while the Trump campaign said it raised $111.8 million last month. Any potential dip in funds for Biden and the Democrats that would have occurred since the debate will not show up on FEC reports until August.

Meanwhile, the Republican National Committee (RNC) reported its best fundraising month in years in June, raising more than $66 million, according to the FEC.

Biden once had a solid cash-on-hand advantage in the presidential race. Now, Trump has surpassed his rival with $285 million compared to Biden’s $240 million. In addition, the RNC now has a cash-on-hand lead of $102 million to $78 million.

“This I can confirm. Donors in revolt,” James Carville, a veteran of Democratic presidential campaigns, including Bill Clinton’s 1992 and 1996 victories, told Semafor last week.

Hank Sheinkopf, a veteran Democratic consultant, pointed to the recent New York Times op-ed by actor George Clooney, urging Biden to step down, as an important turning point in the campaign.

“Campaigns are expensive. Sadly, the George Clooney check-writing crowd opposed to Biden remaining in the race might win out,” Sheinkopf told Newsweek in an email on Sunday. “He who controls the gold might make the rules, making the Democrats no different from the Republicans.”

Jay Townsend, a bipartisan political consultant, told Newsweek in a phone interview on Saturday that Biden is feeling “rapid fire” pressure from four different points—the press, donors, special interests and voters/polls.

Townsend insists that the donors are the most crucial pressure point to watch in the coming days and weeks.

“The pressure must be enormous. They all want him to do something he doesn’t want to do,” he said. “It’s really hard to resist that pressure when it’s coming from all corners. When [financial] reports are filed, and there’s no longer money there to cover overhead and campaign staff and headquarters that are in place, that really hurts. It’s easier to resist the press and special interest groups because you have the leverage to retaliate. It’s really hard to ignore donors.”

Townsend also said that polls and donors often go hand-in-hand.

“The polls are what is scaring donors. Donors want to win. Donors are closing their checkbook because they don’t think Biden can win,” he added.

Pelosi Quiet About Biden’s Future on Campaign Trail

On Saturday night, Pelosi addressed more than 900 people at a North Carolina Democratic Party fundraiser in Raleigh. The event was billed as the annual “Unity Dinner.”

Pelosi’s power was on full display at the event.

“When Nancy Pelosi speaks, everybody listens,” Representative Alma Adams, a North Carolina Democrat, told the Associated Press.

Pelosi’s speech on Saturday was reportedly absent of mentions about Biden’s presidential future. Instead, according to the AP, she mostly spoke about budget and policy battles in the House and took aim at Trump and Republicans.

At the end of her speech, Pelosi focused on Democratic mobilization efforts in the coming months and did little to quell speculation about Biden’s path forward in the presidential race.

“Are you ready for a Democratic president?” Pelosi said to cheers. “I thought so.”

In addition to the pressure from Pelosi, the Associated Press reported on Thursday that former President Barack Obama was “expressing concerns to allies” about Biden’s chances in November. The report, which was based “in part on information from almost a dozen people who insisted on anonymity,” said that Obama has told allies “that Biden needs to consider the viability of his campaign but has also made clear that the decision is one Biden needs to make.”

Rob Casey, a partner at Signum Global Advisers, a policy and strategy firm, told Newsweek in an email on Saturday that current Democratic congressional leadership will be the key “signpost” to watch regarding Biden’s future.

“The signpost to watch is signaling from current Democratic congressional leadership: [Chuck] Schumer, [Hakeem] Jeffries, Pelosi and [James] Clyburn.”

Casey said Democrats encouraging Biden to remain in the race, such as the Clintons, reportedly, are doing so because they see a potentially contested Democratic convention as a more significant threat to defeat in November than a continued Biden campaign.

“That is where the dividing line is today. But it’s a tenuous one for the Biden campaign, especially as a contested convention is far from a foregone conclusion,” he added. “Vice President Kamala Harris is the clear frontrunner, and I expect most if not all Democrats will recognize the nomination is hers to lose should Biden step aside.”

Reacting to the recent reports, a spokesperson for Pelosi told Newsweek recently: “Speaker Pelosi respects the confidentiality of her meetings and conversations with the President of the United States. Sadly, the feeding frenzy from the press based on anonymous sources misrepresents any conversations the Speaker may have had with the President.”

Continuing Clinton Influence Among Democrats

Just days before Biden’s debate performance that changed the complexion of the campaign, Bill Clinton joined Biden and Obama on stage at the end of a Hollywood fundraiser that raised $30 million, a record sum for a single Democratic fundraiser.

Paul Begala, a former Clinton adviser, said Saturday on CNN that “there isn’t an inch of daylight between President Clinton and President Biden,” signaling “he’s all in for Joe Biden.”

However, he was also quick to point out that political parties “exist to win.”

“It’s not a family. It’s not religion. It’s not home. When Democrats believe they won’t help you win, they’ll cut you lose,” Begala said.

According to CNN, the Clintons pragmatically believe that Biden is the Democrats’ presidential nominee until he drops out or the delegates vote for somebody else.

While support from current Democratic lawmakers, especially Pelosi, is tantamount, Casey said the Clintons’ reported backing remains influential.

“The Clintons remain incredibly influential within the Democratic Party and nationally,” he told Newsweek. “Should they come out and explicitly support President Biden’s reelection bid in coming weeks, I expect that would carry significant weight among Democrats, and would be an indication that leaders in the Democratic Party are hoping to move beyond questions surrounding Biden’s candidacy.”

Sheinkopf called the current party power struggle a “collection of factions warring for control.”

He added: “It is in many ways a generational and an ideological divide: older centrist Democrats with the Clintons and more left-leaning younger people with the Obamas.”

Update: 7/21/24, 11:41 a.m.: This article has been updated with more information and comment from Sheinkopf.

Update: 7/21/24, 11:16 a.m.: This article has been updated with more information.