Even though Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, a U.S. representative from California, was reportedly one of the high-ranking Democrats who urged President Joe Biden to step down as the party’s candidate, she’s still praising the Commander-in-Chief.
“Such a consequential president of the United States. A Mount Rushmore kind of president of the United States,” said Pelosi, 84, this week in an interview with CBS News’ Lesley Stahl.
When Stahl pushed back, asking if Pelosi thinks the sitting president really belongs among the mountainside busts of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, Pelosi said yes. That was shortly after Stahl asked if Biden was “furious” at her.
“He knows that I love him, very much,” Pelosi said. She also said always she had confidence that Biden would make the right choice for the country.
Even though much of Biden’s first term has been a success, there have been some issues that marred the presidency. In 2022, the conservative-leaning U.S. Supreme Court (three out of nine justices who were appointed by former President Donald Trump) voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. Despite a spending policy that helped keep the economy strong as the U.S. waded out of the COVID-19 pandemic, high inflation and high interest rates have put pressure on Americans and made them concerned about the economy.
At age 81, Biden gave a shaky performance against 78-year-old Trump in a June debate, sparking serious calls from within the Democratic party that he should not seek another term in office. He also lagged behind Trump at the polls. Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to replace him at the top of the ticket, alongside current Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. As of this week, Harris is pulling ahead of Trump in the polls. This Tuesday, Biden’s approval rating was around 40%, according to FiveThityEight.
Despite his decision to drop out, the Associated Press noted that some experts believe Biden’s legacy will be bright.
“David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to [former President Barack] Obama, said history would treat Biden kinder than voters had, not just because of his legislative achievements but because he defeated Trump,” said the outlet.
Charles A. Kupchan also wrote about Biden’s legacy for the Council on Foreign Relations.
“President Joe Biden has faced a uniquely vexing task: navigating a fractured United States through a fractured world. Against this backdrop, his presidency has been one of remarkable accomplishment,” said Kupchan. “Abroad, Biden restored the United States as the anchor of the free world while leading the successful effort to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression. At home, he healed an economy that had been distressed by the pandemic and put the nation on a path of sustainable growth.”
This summer, the release of Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan from Russian prison also marked another victory for Biden’s presidency, per a BBC report.
Trump, who Biden beat in the 2020 election, of course has a different view. He frequently calls Biden the “worst” president of all time.
Mount Rushmore, a colossal monument to select U.S. presidents, has a complicated story. While it is one of the nation’s notable man-made landmarks, it was also carved into the Black Hills region of South Dakota, a sacred place for several Native American tribes.
“Gutzon Borglum selected these four presidents because from his perspective, they represented the most important events in the history of the United States,” explained that National Parks Services of the presidents selected to grace the mountainside.
Pelosi might be an advocate for Biden’s inclusion on the rockface, but seeing another president there is unlikely. In 2020, the Argus Leader reported that there is no secure surface on the mountain for another sculpture.