Pelosi says Biden’s State of the Union nullifies Democratic competition in 2024 and there will be ‘no challenger’

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Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told CNN that President Joe Biden would face no Democratic primary challenger in 2024, after his State of the Union address.

Ms Pelosi, who stepped aside as leader of House Democrats but whom the caucus elevated to the honorary title of Speaker Emerita, spoke to CNN after the president delivered his joint address to Congress.

The address comes as Mr Biden weighs whether to run for a second term in 2024. But Ms Pelosi told CNN she did not think that Mr Biden would face any Democratic challenger.

“Yes, the age issue is something we all have to contend with in any line of work,” she said. “He demonstrated he is a president of great judgment and sometimes great judgment comes with age.”

Ms Pelosi also called Mr Biden “a unifier.”

During his address, Mr Biden addressed the assault on her husband Paul Pelosi in November, which left him seriously injured. Numerous right-wing media figures, including Twitter executive Elon Musk, spread various conspiracy theories and unfounded rumours about the assault.

Mr Biden decried the right-wing rhetoric that led to the assault.

“A few months ago, unhinged by the Big Lie, an assailant unleashed political violence in the home of the then-Speaker of this House of Representatives, using the very same language that insurrectionists who stalked these halls chanted on January 6th,” he said. “Here tonight in this chamber is a man who bears the scars of that brutal attack but is as tough and a strong as resilient as they get. My friend, Paul Pelosi.”

The moment led to a standing ovation and Mr Biden denonced political violence.

“But such a heinous act should have never happened,” he said. “We must all speak out. There is no place for political violence in America.”