EXCLUSIVE: How Nancy Pelosi 'Blackmailed' Joe Biden Into Quitting His 'Doomed' Reelection Bid Against Trump — Before Pulling the Plug on Her Own Political Career
Nancy Pelosi was accused of helping push Joe Biden out of the White House.
Nov. 6 2025, Published 1:19 p.m. ET
Nancy Pelosi is going out on her own terms, after the former House Speaker announced she would not be seeking reelection for another term.
That's an opportunity Joe Biden never got, RadarOnline.com can report, after Pelosi, 85, secretly demanded that the then-president shut down his failing campaign last year.
Pelosi Gave Biden an 'Ultimatum'
The former House Speaker was said to have threatened to "blackmail" Biden if he refused to leave.
After his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump, Pelosi gave Biden an ultimatum: drop out, or she would join the voices publicly trashing him.
An insider on Capitol Hill exclusively told us at the time: "Pelosi threatening Biden if he did not withdraw from the race is akin to blackmail."
Pelosi reportedly told Biden during a ruthless phone call that she was preparing to release poll results showing that the aging president would not be able to beat Trump – fears that eventually led to Kamala Harris replacing Biden on the ticket.
The insider dubbed Pelosi's threat a "modern-day Saturday Night Massacre", referencing the onslaught of resignations during the Nixon administration's Watergate scandal, in which officials decided to step down rather than fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox for his subpoena of the president.
The source also called the reported call a "ruthless and swift execution orchestrated at the highest levels in the corridors of power."
Obama Was Not Pleased
Pelosi threatened to release some damaging secret poll numbers showing Biden had no chance to beat Donald Trump.
Just one day after Biden exited the race, former Speaker of the House Pelosi announced her backing of Vice President Harris, shocking everyone – including Joe's previous boss, Barack Obama, who felt that endorsement came far too quickly.
"The Obamas were not happy," a Pelosi confidant told veteran ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl for his just-released book Retribution: Donald Trump and the Campaign That Changed America, which is all about the recent election.
"This person summed up Obama's message to Pelosi as, essentially, 'What the f--- did you just do?'"
Karl writes that the former president wasn't interested in simply handing the race over to Harris, and instead pushed for an in-depth "process" to determine the Democratic nominee.
Pelosi and Obama were Planning to Work Together
Former President Barack Obama was not happy when Pelosi immediately endorsed Kamala Harris for president.
Obama reportedly believed he and Pelosi had been in "regular communication" about the future of the Democratic party, as it became increasingly clear that the then-81-year-old Biden was planning to call it a day.
Karl writes: "They agreed Harris should not simply be handed the nomination unchallenged."
"Therefore, Obama and Pelosi - arguably the two most influential figures in the Democratic Party - had privately agreed to abstain from making any endorsements."
However, once Biden announced his stunning decision to end his campaign, Pelosi told Obama, "That train has left the station."
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Pelosi Steps Down
Pelosi announced she would not seek reelection.
On Thursday, Nov. 6, Pelosi announced she was ready to step down as well. The former speaker of the House – who was the only female ever to hold that position – announced she will not be seeking reelection in 2026.
In a video posted to her social media, Pelosi noted, "We have made history, we have made progress."
"We have always led the way, and now we must continue to do so by remaining full participants in our democracy, and fighting for the American ideals we hold dear," she continued.
"As we go forward, my message to the city I love is this: San Francisco, know your power."
