OAN Staff Lillian Mann
9:16 AM – Thursday, August 13, 2026
Speaking in Sacramento, California, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she was unaware of former President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline during his 2024 reelection campaign, adding that those who were aware of his condition should have spoken out.
At POLITICO’s “The California Agenda: Sacramento Summit” event, the 86-year-old said she “didn’t really know” about Biden’s health struggles before the infamous June 27, 2024, debate against President Donald Trump, where his halting and shaky performance heightened concerns about his age and ultimately contributed to his decision to end his reelection campaign.
“I do think that those who did know should have acted upon that information. Whoever knew,” she claimed. “There was staff saying the family knew. The family said the staff.”
The conversation with POLITICO’S Jonathan Martin, marked some of her most explicit public reflections on the former president, as she insisted she was unaware of his health issues and instead urged him to reconsider polling that cast doubt on his ability to beat Trump.
“I only said to President Biden, ‘I’ve come to question the polling that you have and how your campaign is being conducted,” Pelosi said. “Because, at that point, 72 percent of the American people didn’t think he should run.”
The former speaker noted that during a private White House meeting, she also encouraged Biden to publish a physician’s diagnostic evaluation to assure the public he was fit for a second term.
“We’re Catholic, we’re prayerful, we had our rosaries and all of that,” Pelosi said. “We had a lovely meeting. It was only the two of us.”
At the summit, Pelosi recounted her reaction to his difficult performance during the June 2024 televised debate against Trump.
“When you think of the debate and how sad that was, that’s really when we learned,” she said. “I didn’t know, and I think he had his sort of ups and downs.”
Ultimately, Pelosi’s reflections underscore the lingering frustration and debate surrounding the final months of Biden’s campaign, while offering new insight into the political developments of 2024—a pivotal period in U.S. politics.
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