On Wednesday (Jan. 15), The Washington Post published a revealing interview with first lady Dr. Jill Biden. The lengthy feature saw her shedding light on the strained relationship between former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden following his decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. “We were friends for 50 years,” she reflected. “It was disappointing.”

The apparent breakdown stemmed from Pelosi’s public reservations about Joe’s chances against Donald Trump following a polarizing debate performance in June 2024. “It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run,” the California representative said during an MSNBC interview. “We’re all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short.” Behind closed doors, Pelosi reportedly told the head of state that polling indicated he could not beat Trump and might harm Democrats’ efforts to retain the House if he remained a candidate. A source described Joe’s reaction to CNN as “seething” in response.

“Let’s just say I was disappointed with how it unfolded,” Jill shared regarding growing calls for her husband to step aside. “I learned a lot about human nature.” As REVOLT previously reported, Pelosi later suggested that Biden’s delayed decision to leave the race contributed to the election outcome. “Had the president gotten out sooner, there may have been other candidates in the race,” she claimed.

Jill also recounted an unexpected conversation with Trump during the Notre Dame Cathedral’s reopening in Paris. She recalled Trump saying, “I had a good meeting with your husband in the Oval Office,” to which she replied, “Yes because you’re both talkers.” When asked why she chose to engage with Trump despite the contentious campaign, she explained, “Joe and I respect our institutions, our traditions. It’s very important to me that they continue. What would be the point of nastiness?”

Another topic discussed was the controversial decision to pardon the couple’s son, Hunter Biden, which “Joe really wrestled with.” “He started at the point where he said he wasn’t going to pardon [him]. But then I think things changed,” she admitted. “Circumstances shifted, and it became quite apparent and obvious that the Republicans weren’t going to stop.”