Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said on Monday that Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi is a “supporter” of his 2020 campaign.
In an interview with Bloomberg , addressing a wide range of topics, Biden weighed in on the state of the Democratic primary race, jabbing at some of his rivals and signaling to supporters that his campaign is in good shape.
Pelosi, who remains staunchly opposed to progressive priorities, such as Medicare for All, is apparently supportive of Biden’s White House bid.
“She’s a good friend, she’s a supporter,” Biden said of the Pelosi.
The former vice president revealed he last spoke to Pelosi at late Congressman Elijah Cummings’s funeral, where she offered campaign advice.
“Her point is she thinks that more that I’m engaged in a conversation, the better things are. Her comment to me was ‘Joe, just be you, just be Joe.”
Biden also dismissed two of his primary rivals: South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.
According to the former vice president, Buttigieg “doesn’t have the enthusiasm and the moderates,” and he stole Biden’s public option health care plan.
“He stole it!” Biden exclaimed.
Warren, according to Biden, keeps sliding in the polls and has failed to generate meaningful enthusiasm.
“You don’t see that with Warren. Stop kidding a kidder. OK, come on, man, give me a break,” Biden said.
“Look at the polling everywhere. OK. Tell me. Tell me where this great enthusiasm is manifesting itself,” he added.
Biden concluded the press briefing arguing that success for him in early states would effectively end the race.
Touting high support among African American and Latino voters across the country, the former vice president suggested that a relatively strong performance in Iowa and New Hampshire would also be enough to carry him to the nomination.
We’re officially on the road for our eight-day #NoMalarkey Tour across Iowa! pic.twitter.com/cGSblBnHoZ
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 2, 2019
Experts have also argued that Biden’s main priority should be to preserve his South Carolina firewall — which, they claim, he can only do if he doesn’t underperform in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Biden is the clear favorite in South Carolina, where he enjoys a 19-point advantage over his closest competitors, but the lead could evaporate overnight, according to multiple Democratic strategists , who claim weak performances in Iowa and New Hampshire could break his firewall in the Palmetto State.
According to the RealClearPolitics average of Democratic primary polling data, Biden remains the front-runner nationwide, with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in second place. The third spot belongs to Warren, and the fourth to Buttigieg.
