Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday gave mixed signals about whether President Joe Biden should remain the Democratic Party's presumptive presidential nominee or end his reelection bid.
Democrats have been in turmoil over the 81-year-old Biden's candidacy since his disastrous June 27 debate performance against former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee.
"It's up to the president to decide if he is going to run. We're all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short," Pelosi said on MSNBC.
Reminded that Biden already has said he will remain in the race, Pelosi was asked if she wanted him to run.
"I want him to do whatever he decides to do, and that's the way it is. Whatever he decides we go with," she said, adding that Biden's attention this week should be on the NATO summit in Washington, D.C.
"I've said to everyone, 'Let's just hold off. Whatever you're thinking, either tell somebody privately, but you don't have to put that out on the table until we see how we go this week."
Last week, Pelosi said it was fair to ask why Biden had a poor debate performance.
"He had a bad night," Pelosi said on MSNBC. "I think it's a legitimate question to say, 'Is this an episode or is this a condition?' When people ask that question, it's legitimate — of both candidates."
Biden has said he will continue his campaign despite calls from within his party to step aside.
Surveys have shown Trump gaining from Biden's debate performance. Private polling from Democrat and Republican sources revealed the former president has extended his lead in Pennsylvania from 4 percentage points to 10.
Politico even reported Wednesday that deep-blue New York and its 28 electoral votes are in play for Trump.
There's also concern among Democrats that Biden continuing as the party's presumptive nominee could result in Republicans winning both chambers of Congress in November's general election.
Even Biden's fundraising machine is facing hurdles after his debate performance, as some of his campaign bundlers told CNBC that they've stopped making calls to donors because "no one is picking up the phone."