Jill Biden discusses division with Nancy Pelosi, Notre Dame photo with Donald Trump
First lady Jill Biden in an interview published Wednesday said she's disappointed with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, reflecting on their decades-long relationship and the lawmaker's role at the end of President Joe Biden's reelection bid.
Pelosi was a crucial player last summer in persuading President Biden to drop out of the race after his poor performance in a debate against now-President-elect Donald Trump.
Jill Biden told the Washington Post that she has been "thinking a lot about relationships" as her family's time as the nation's first family comes to a close.
“We were friends for 50 years.” the first lady told the outlet, speaking about Pelosi. “It was disappointing.”
Democrats were plunged into chaos for weeks after the debate, split over whether Biden should bow out or remain the nominee. In a pivotal phone call, Pelosi told Biden that polls showed he would lose to Trump and risk bringing down the party's congressional prospects with him, USA TODAY reported in August.
The former speaker last summer also appeared to question Biden's candidacy in public.
When asked in an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” whether Biden still had her support to be the Democratic pick, she said “It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run. We're all encouraging him to make that decision. Because time is running short.”
Biden at the time insisted he was staying in the 2024 race for the White House and had already locked up the Democratic nomination. He ultimately dropped out on July 21 and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.
A chat with Trump
Jill Biden also addressed a viral moment in December, when she and Trump were seated near each other at the reopening of the gothic masterpiece cathedral Notre-Dame in Paris.
Photos from the event showed Trump and Jill Biden speaking to each other and smiling, an unexpected interaction between political foes. The first lady told the Washington Post that Trump admitted to her “I had a good meeting with your husband in the Oval Office.”
She said she joked back that the rivals are "both talkers."
Trump and Joe Biden met at the White House in November. They both spoke about the importance of a peaceful transition between their administrations.
“Politics is tough, and it’s in many cases not a nice world, but it is a nice world today, and I appreciate it very much,” Trump told Joe Biden during their meeting.
The day after Trump and Jill Biden were pictured together at Notre Dame, Trump used a photo of the interaction in a promotion for his line of fragrances. Trump included the caption “A fragrance your enemies can’t resist" in a post on Truth Social.
When asked why she spoke with Trump at the event, Jill Biden told the Washington Post, “Joe and I respect our institutions, our traditions."
"And it’s very important to me that they continue... What would be the point of nastiness?”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jill Biden shares disappointment with Nancy Pelosi after 2024 division