Nancy Pelosi lavishly praised Joe Biden in her remarks at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, thanking him for his service.
The former president’s words were notable after she played a major role in convincing Biden to drop out of the presidential race.
“He established one of the most successful presidencies of modern times,” he said. “Thank you, Joe.”
But his warm words for the president may come too late.
The Bidens, and Jill Biden in particular, are known to hold grudges.
And they are known to still be angry with Nancy Pelosi.
“Thank you, Joe,” Nancy Pelosi said of President Biden in her remarks at the convention
On the tarmac after his convention speech on Monday, as he prepared to fly to California, Biden was asked by DailyMail.com if he was still angry with Pelosi and if he had spoken to her.
He didn’t acknowledge the anger in the question, but noted that he hadn’t spoken to her yet.
“No, I haven’t talked to her. No one else made the decision. No one knew this was going to happen,” he said.
But Pelosi was a driving force behind his exit from the presidential race.
On Saturday, the day before announcing her withdrawal from the race, Pelosi sent an urgent message to the president: She was prepared to go public with her concerns that he would not be able to defeat Donald Trump in November.
The ultimatum was clear: abandon him now or Pelosi would destroy her political ally and friend of more than 50 years on the global stage.
Biden announced his departure the following day.
Anita Dunn, the president’s former communications director who left the administration a few weeks ago, hinted that the Bidens should not be forgotten in remarks at his farewell party at the White House.
“Revenge is a dish best served cold,” Dunn said in remarks seen as directed at the former speaker.
President Joe Biden said he has not yet spoken to Nancy Pelosi
Mindy Kaling introduced Nancy Pelosi as the “mother of dragons”
Biden, 81, and Pelosi, 84, both veterans of the Washington scene, have known each other since the 1970s.
When Biden served as vice president, Pelosi became Speaker of the House and they worked together to pass the landmark Obamacare legislation.
Pelosi stepped down from House leadership last year, but has by no means lost power or influence.
Delegates have acknowledged her influence by wearing pins with her image labeled ‘the Godmother’ as they walk around the convention site.
And actress Mindy Kaling, who will host the evening, introduced Pelosi as the “mother of dragons,” a reference to the powerful queen from the television show Game of Thrones.
The television cameras were focused on Pelosi the night Joe Biden addressed the convention. She was sitting in the front row of the California delegation. That state was ranked first on the convention hall. Harris is from there, and the candidate’s state is usually ranked first.
Pelosi waved her “We love Joe” sign, but the discomfort was visible.
Biden left Chicago after his speech and headed to California, where he will spend the week in isolation with his family.
As for Pelosi, after praising Biden, she went on to praise Kamala Harris, whom she called a “strong and wise leader.”
“I have known Kamala Harris for decades. Personally, I know her to be a person of deep faith, which is reflected in her commitment to community and service. Officially, she is a strong, wise and articulate leader on policy matters. Most recently, she has demonstrated her fight for a woman’s right to choose. Politically, she is astute and strategic in winning tough elections, quickly securing the nomination with dignity,” she said.
Nancy Pelosi sat in the front row during Joe Biden’s speech at the convention
Pelosi also praised Tim Walz, with whom she served in the House.
“I had the honor of working with Tim for 12 years in Congress. He brought together Democrats, Republicans and Independents to turn a Republican district into a Democratic one,” she said.
He then changed the subject again to talk about the attack on the Capitol on January 6 and criticize Donald Trump.
Let us not forget who attacked democracy on January 6th. He did. But let us not forget who saved democracy that day. We did.
He concluded his brief remarks on the upcoming elections: “Onward, towards victory.”