Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) suggested President Biden likely blames his exit from the 2024 race on the Obamas, arguing he “didn’t want to go.”
Gingrich claimed during his Sunday interview with host John Catsimatidis that Biden, who served two terms as former President Obama’s vice president, holds the Obamas “directly responsible” for his decision not to seek a second term.
“We were told that he has still not talked to Nancy Pelosi,” Gingrich said on “Cats Roundtable – WABC 770 AM.”
“I think he holds the Obamas very directly responsible. He thinks that the Obamas pushed him out of the way in 2016 for Hillary [Clinton]. And then he thinks that they sort of shoved him out [this year]. Basically, Speaker Pelosi and the Obamas were the driving force in kicking him out. He didn’t want to go.”
Biden’s decision not to drop his reelection bid run came after Democrats increased pressure on him ever since he had an abysmal debate performance against former President Trump, the GOP nominee, on June 27. During the CNN debate, the commander-in-chief struggled at times to finish sentences, was fumbling through answers and gave confused looks during the 90-minute showing.
The former House speaker said that it was “almost insulting” to have Biden speak during the first night of the Democratic convention in Chicago.
“I thought the first night was a little sad in a way,” Gingrich said. “I sort of sensed that Biden had that same feeling. Here are all the people who had knifed him in the back chanting, ‘Thank you, Joe. Thank you, Joe.’ I think he’s probably thinking to himself, ‘Wait a second. If you like me that much, how come I’m not the nominee?’ He [spoke] so late at night, it was almost insulting … And then he immediately left on an airplane and went to California.”