As Biden dug in on continuing his campaign, Pelosi kept the pressure on

WASHINGTON — Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi stepped down from her powerful perch leading House Democrats nearly a year and a half ago. But behind the scenes, sources say, Pelosi, a Democrat from San Francisco, played a critical role in delicately nudging President Joe Biden to the exits.

Although Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Pelosi’s protégé, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both of New York, also told Biden about Democrats' concerns about his continuing his campaign, three sources told NBC News thatany time the issue of his dropping out began to die down and lose momentum, they viewed Pelosi as the one fanning the flames.

Unlike the two current Democratic leaders, Pelosi is no longer on the leadership team and could afford to be more front and center in the effort to push Biden out after his disastrous debate performance last month.

“I think Pelosi continues to show she’s a master political tactician,” a House Democratic leadership aide said Sunday.

Throughout Democrats’ painful three-week ordeal, Pelosi never publicly called on Biden to quit the race; neither did Schumer or Jeffries. Doing so could infuriate Biden and cause him to become intransigent and never step aside.

Instead, Pelosi worked quietly and methodically, speaking to scores of rank-and-file lawmakers, members of her old leadership team and her large network of Democratic donors who had once made her the party’s most prolific fundraiser.

For those vulnerable rank-and-file lawmakers who reached out to her seeking guidance, two sources said, Pelosi advised that they “speak their conscience” in the days leading up to Biden’s stunning decision to drop out. A source close to Pelosi made it clear that she was not initiating conversations but