This month, President Joe Biden presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 distinguished individuals, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former Vice President Al Gore, and Olympic champion Katie Ledecky. This is the highest civilian award in the United States. During the event, Biden commended each recipient, highlighting their extraordinary traits such as relentless curiosity and hope. He specifically called Pelosi the “greatest speaker of the House of Representatives,” saying she “used her superpowers to pass some of the most significant laws in our nation’s history.” This move by Biden once again confirmed that he sees Pelosi as one of his closest political allies.
Mutual support when needed the most
At the ceremony, Biden acknowledged Pelosi’s defense of democracy alongside her husband Paul during the January 6th Capitol riots, highlighting it as a significant moment for the country. Pelosi has consistently supported Biden, standing by him even amidst criticism from both the public and political rivals for some of his moves as president.
Nancy Pelosi achieved a historic milestone in 2007 when she became the first woman to be appointed as the Speaker of the House. She made headlines once more in January 2019 by reclaiming her role as the second-in-line for the presidency, a feat last accomplished over sixty years ago. Having served in Congress for nearly forty years, Pelosi is recognized as one of the most influential Democrats in modern history.
Growing concerns
“I myself would never recommend going on stage with Donald Trump,” Pelosi told CNN’s Manu Raju on Wednesday. “But the president has decided that’s what he wants to do,” Pelosi said. “I think the format he is suggesting is a good one.”
Nancy Pelosi on Biden-Trump debates: 'I myself would never recommend going on stage with Donald Trump.' pic.twitter.com/EWBBhLIlfl
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) May 15, 2024
Last week, after it was announced that President Joe Biden and former President Trump would take part in two debates during the upcoming presidential campaign, Nancy Pelosi shared her concerns with Biden. Despite her typically close ties with Biden, Pelosi’s worries underscore the challenges of debating Trump.
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Regarding the debates, Biden has arranged for two before the election, which Trump has accepted. The first is scheduled for June 27, hosted by CNN, and a subsequent one on September 10, hosted by ABC. The initial debate is set unusually early in the general election period. Many Democrats, including Biden’s campaign team, back his decision to engage in debates with Trump. Sources from within the Biden campaign told The Hill that these debates are strategically intended to allow voters to directly compare the two candidates before casting their votes.
Trump is always dominant
While many Democrats support Biden’s decision to face Trump in debates, Nancy Pelosi has raised concerns about Trump’s previous debate conduct. For example, in the 2016 debates, Trump was notably dominant over Hillary Clinton, and in 2020, he frequently interrupted both Biden and the moderator, with some counts citing over 100 interruptions. Pelosi’s comments not only criticize Trump’s aggressive debate tactics but also imply concerns about Biden’s capability to effectively counter Trump, who is recognized for his impactful public speaking.
Pelosi has proposed that networks organize town hall meetings instead, where the candidates can present their positions directly to the public. However, Trump had to agree to several conditions after Biden’s campaign set several demands one of which is a major one and could potentially benefit Joe Biden: No crowd!
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“Trump feeds off the crowd, they give him life,” Politico reported, citing one Biden adviser who was granted anonymity in order to discuss internal strategy. “We wanted to take that away.”
