A new book about the 2024 election, Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House by Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes, reveals that House Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi privately urged President Joe Biden not to debate Donald Trump. According to the authors, Pelosi believed a debate would harm Biden more than help, appealing to his ego by warning that he shouldn’t “lower the presidency” by engaging with Trump. Despite this, Biden was reportedly eager to debate, viewing it as an opportunity to confront his rival head-on. The book describes internal divisions among top Democrats, including advisor Anita Dunn, who also advised Biden against debating. When Biden went ahead with the June debate, his poor performance alarmed party leaders and contributed to a collapse in support. Shortly afterward, he withdrew from the race.

The book further reveals that Pelosi played a key role in persuading Biden to step down following the fallout. It also details former President Barack Obama’s covert efforts to block Vice President Kamala Harris from becoming the Democratic nominee. According to the authors, Obama lacked confidence in Harris’s electability and worked behind the scenes to push for a mini-primary to consider alternative candidates. Though he eventually endorsed Harris, that support came only after Biden formally passed her the nomination. These revelations underscore the deep divisions and strategic concerns that plagued Democratic leadership during a turbulent election year.