Had the president gotten out sooner, there may have been other candidates in the race,” the former House speaker said in an interview with The New York Times, suggesting she had anticipated an “open primary.

Former U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said if President Joe Biden had ended his reelection bid sooner, the Democratic Party could have held a competitive nominating process to choose his replacement.

Pelosi was among the top Democratic officials who pushed the 81-year-old president to step aside after his disastrous debate performance this summer.