Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), at 85, is one of the oldest members of Congress.
In my opinion, she represents everything that is wrong with our political system, as she has been camped out in her seat since 1987, having spent nearly four decades in Congress in a scenario that is surely not what our Founders envisioned.
Finally, Pelosi is retiring, and I would suspect that New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s Tuesday win had something to do with that.
Pelosi and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) have been at odds virtually since the latter took office.
The New York firebrand was the darling of the media when she first reached Congress, and she was swiftly embraced by the far left in the party.
During the shutdown, things came to a head again between the two power players. AOC invited Republicans to her office to discuss the shutdown, even though she is not a member of party leadership. Ocasio-Cortez's offer was made in response to statements from Republicans that she was the de facto leader of her party behind the scenes.
When Pelosi went before the media, a reporter asked her, "There was a thought from the Republicans that AOC is directing this, and she said that senators are welcome to go to her office directly. Is she driving that?" Pelosi, clearly agitated, responded, "Why are you saying such a ridiculous thing?"
But we were witnessing a changing of the guard in real time, as Pelosi was clearly no longer the lone representative voice of the Democrat Party. I am guessing that with several socialist candidates notching some big wins this week, perhaps Pelosi saw the writing on the wall and decided to go.
Pelosi had not previously hinted whether she would run again in 2026, but the signs were there that she would give it one more term in her endless crusade to stop Donald Trump.
However, she stunned everyone this morning by announcing her retirement, stating, "There has been no greater honor for me than to stand on the House floor and say, ‘I speak for the people of San Francisco.’ I have truly loved serving as your voice in Congress, and I've always honored the soul of Saint Francisco -- ‘Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.' The anthem of our city.”
She continued, "That is why I want you, my fellow San Franciscans to be the first to know I will not be seeking re-election to Congress. With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your proud representative as we go forward."
For conservatives, this is great news, and as I am sure you can imagine, Trump was also delighted.
Trump did not hold his tongue, and after all the things Pelosi has said about him, I don’t blame him. He stated, "The retirement of Nancy Pelosi is a great thing for America. She was evil, corrupt, and only focused on bad things for our country. She was rapidly losing control of her party, and it was never coming back. I'm very honored that she impeached me twice and failed miserably twice."
Democrats, however, and as expected, gushed over her. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who I am sure is relieved that Pelosi will finally be gone, stated, "During her 20 years leading House Democrats, she fiercely navigated many trials and tribulations, including a once-in-a-century pandemic, a horrific attack on the United States Capitol and a violent attempt on her husband’s life. Through it all, she led with strength and dignity."
Former President Joe Biden also posted on X, "I often said Nancy Pelosi was the best Speaker of the House in American history -- it’s why I awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. When I was President, we worked together to grow our economy, create millions of jobs, and make historic investments in our nation’s future. She has devoted much of her life to this country, and America will always be grateful. Jill and I wish Nancy and Paul all the best."
Now, we know there is no way a conservative will ever win her seat, but I am just glad that she is gone. But there is a new fear emerging, namely that her daughter will try to fill the seat to keep the family legacy going in Congress. As bad as Nancy is, her daughter has the potential to be worse, so we will just have to watch the wire to see who announces a bid to take her place in the Democrat Party.
