According to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic presidential nominee because she triumphed in “an open primary.”
Harris took over from President Joe Biden as the presumed nominee for the Democratic Party following his poor performance in a debate against former President Donald Trump on June 27.
The vice president was officially designated as the nominee during an August virtual roll call ballot conducted by the Democratic National Committee, even though she did not receive any votes in a primary election.
Reportedly, Pelosi, along with former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., played a significant role, alongside donors and celebrities like actor George Clooney, in pressuring Biden to conclude his reelection campaign.
In June, Politico reported that Pelosi emphasized the importance of an open process for selecting the next party nominee should Biden decide to step down, aiming to prevent the perception of Harris being crowned without competition.
Nonetheless, shortly after Biden made his announcement, the former speaker endorsed Harris.
When Semafor’s Kadia Goba questioned Pelosi about whether she had reconsidered her initial stance regarding the Democratic nomination, the former speaker went into damage control.
“I didn’t change my mind. We had an open primary, and she won it,” Pelosi asserted. “Nobody else got in the race because she was politically astute and that was the thought.”
As Goba tried to interject, seemingly saying “Well …,” Pelosi cut her off.
“Let’s show our talent,” Pelosi stated. “We have a great bench, all these great people in the country … and the president endorsed her, and that’s a big deal because Joe Biden is the most consequential president of modern times. He accomplished so much more.”
Pelosi reiterated her assertion regarding the existence of an open primary.
“It wasn’t that we didn’t have an open process,” Pelosi clarified. “It’s just that nobody got in because she had a running start.”
Biden had previously secured the Democratic Party presidential primary, garnering 87.09% of the vote, which totaled 14,465,519 votes.
Last month, the Daily Mail reported that Pelosi had threatened to go public with her apprehensions about Biden’s candidacy, leading to the president’s decision to withdraw from the race.
Biden’s unexpected exit followed Pelosi’s indication that she was ready to express her concerns publicly regarding his chances against Trump in November, according to the report.
{Matzav.com}