Nancy Pelosi

Harris would have "been stronger going further" if the party had had an open primary, Pelosi said.

After weeks of in-party fighting between Democrats on whether Biden, 81, should stay in the race, a rush of support coalescing behind her is crucial just over 100 days before November's election.

The last few weeks have shown that Biden and Netanyahu will cling to power to the end, both men feeling indispensable.

There was no clarification whether Pelosi directly advised Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race during their recent conversation.

In an opinion piece published on Wednesday in the New York Times, Hollywood star George Clooney, a Democrat who co-hosted a fundraiser for Biden last month, withdrew his support.

Netanyahu was officially invited last week by US House Speaker Mike Johnson to speak before both houses of Congress in Washington. It was later confirmed that his address will take place on July 24.

“It is enough of the indiscriminate bombing. I don’t want the kinds of weapons that Israel has to be utilized to have more death," Rep. Gregory Meeks said on Tuesday.

"Denying weapons to an ally in the middle of a war is the definition of betrayal," the newspaper's editorial board wrote, labeling Pelosi a "sunshine ally."

A letter was signed by Pelosi and 36 other Democrats including Representatives Barbara Lee, Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Pelosi's comments marked the first time a prominent US lawmaker has accused Russia's leader of backing US protesters calling for a ceasefire.

Pelosi, a Democrat who twice served as House speaker, is the first woman to hold the position that is second in line for the presidency if the president is incapacitated.