Anita Dunn, a former senior adviser to President Joe Biden, has pointedly blamed House Speaker emerita Nancy Pelosi for the unraveling of Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign. Dunn, who has since aligned with Vice President Kamala Harris’s political efforts, claimed that Pelosi’s public comments cast doubt on Biden’s ability to continue, setting off a chain reaction within the Democratic Party that led to his withdrawal from the race.
Dunn argued that Pelosi’s remarks, particularly after Biden’s subpar debate performance on June 27, were instrumental in encouraging other Democratic leaders and donors to express their own doubts. This created a cascading effect that, according to Dunn, the campaign could not overcome. She criticized the decision-making process within the party, highlighting how donor influence overshadowed the preferences of primary voters who had supported Biden.
The campaign’s difficulties were exacerbated by an op-ed from George Clooney, a prominent Democratic donor, who publicly called for Biden to step down. Despite initially resisting the growing pressure, Biden ultimately announced his withdrawal on July 21, stating that it was in the best interest of the Democratic Party and the nation. Dunn described the situation as unprecedented, noting that many undecided voters still viewed Biden as a viable candidate.
Dunn also took the opportunity to critique Pelosi’s leadership during the 2022 midterm elections, suggesting that the Democrats might have retained control of the House with more effective leadership. While Pelosi has since praised Biden, her relationship with his former advisers appears to remain strained, as the two have not spoken since his decision to end his campaign.
