She may no longer be holding the gavel , but former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is relishing her grip on power as Congress returns to Washington in September.
At the Democratic National Convention, the two-time speaker gave a brief speech in keeping with her less public position. What went unsaid is the outsize role she played behind the scenes in privately urging President Joe Biden to step aside, making it apparent that she’ll do whatever it takes to ensure former President Donald Trump does not step foot in the White House ever again.
The 84-year-old was one of Trump’s major antagonists when she served as speaker and her disdain toward him motivated her to get involved in the sudden shift at the top of the ticket, according to sources with knowledge of her role.
Pelosi took a victory lap of sorts at the weeklong celebration in Chicago of renewed optimism, speaking to state delegations and attending events, where she received a hero’s welcome with Kamala Harris now atop the ticket. Her newly released memoir, The Art of Power, has shot up the bestseller lists, and delegates were even seen with the book last week, asking her to sign it.
The San Francisco mother of five stepped aside as the leader of House Democrats in 2022 after losing the House majority to allow a new generation of leaders to rise. She honored a pledge she made in 2018 to serve just four more years following pressure from Democrats who viewed her as a political liability in their swing districts.
Some argue she’s better able to wield power now without a leadership title as Congress is set to return next month from a summer recess. She put the party in a seemingly better position to win by helping to push aside a sitting president. And she got an ally in Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), a former House member, as the vice presidential choice.
“She is a full-on power player even if she doesn’t have the title of speaker, majority leader, minority leader next to her name — that’s the difference,” said Casey Burgat, the director of the legislative affairs program at George Washington University.
Burgat emphasized Pelosi is treading carefully to allow Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) to take a forward-facing role.
“She is cognizant of Hakeem Jeffries and the need for him to step up, but she’s involved in all these conversations, absolutely,” he said. “She’s calling a lot of the shots, but these days you aren’t seeing her in front of the camera.”
Jeffries praised the former speaker but declined to weigh in on whether she was taking a victory lap after she’s been credited with the pressure campaign despite never once publicly calling for Biden to step aside.
“I think Nancy Pelosi has been a phenomenal public servant. We love Nancy Pelosi, and we are proud to stand on her shoulders,” Jeffries said Thursday, speaking to reporters. “We look forward to continuing to serve with her.”
In introducing Pelosi on Wednesday, comedian Mindy Kaling introduced her as “the mother of dragons,” referring to the powerful queen in the television show Game of Thrones. Inside the United Center, some delegates were wearing pins dubbing Pelosi “The Godmother.” However, she said she “was not amused by that” when she was presented a pin at the CNN-Politico Grill at the DNC last week.
During the roll-call vote, a beaming Pelosi stood alongside Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) as he started his vote announcement by proclaiming he's from "the great state of Nancy Pelosi." Those within the party continue to emphasize Pelosi’s role in the campaign shake-up, giving her credit for the renewed energy and optimism over the Harris-Walz ticket. While she has attempted to downplay her role in Biden’s decision, Democrats at the DNC dispute that.
“You could tell it was about bringing the party to a cohesive place, but she clearly has shown the kind of resolve and care and concern for the party and probably helped bring us to this place more than anybody singularly was able to do,” said Basil Smikle, a Democratic strategist and former executive director of the New York State Democratic Party.
“That is power, and it’s both wise and strong,” he added.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) emphasized Pelosi’s actions are likely to affect more than just the presidential race.
“I do think that the downballot races, the House and Senate races, are less in danger as a result, and that was one of the reasons Speaker Pelosi acted the way she did,” Khanna said in an interview with the Washington Examiner.
Pelosi’s colleagues in the House praised her and explained she took no pleasure in nudging the president to reconsider his 2024 campaign.
Biden was asked whether he was mad at Pelosi or if he's had contact with the former speaker. "No, I haven’t spoken to her," he said after his farewell address in Chicago. "No one made my decision but me. No one knew it was coming.”
Pelosi said her decision has taken a toll on her friendship with Biden that spans more than four decades. “I love him so much. We pray together. I cry over it. I lose sleep over it and the rest, but that’s what evolved,” Pelosi said earlier this month.
First elected to Congress in 1987, Pelosi is seeking reelection in November to represent California's 11th Congressional District.
“Nancy Pelosi is probably the most effective and important speaker in the history of the United States,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), a close ally and friend of Pelosi. “Her record is unmatched. She is yet a modest person. She always focused not on herself but on the public and achieving things, especially for children.”
“She has known Kamala Harris for a long time, as have all of us in California. We know that we can win, but we have to work like crazy,” she added.
While Pelosi and Biden are seemingly on frosty terms, delegates quickly forgave her, maintaining any sin she committed was in the party’s best interests.
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“Nancy can do no wrong. We were faced with a challenging decision and she plotted the best path forward — and that’s Kamala,” said Katherine Hennigan, a California delegate. “She is a legend, she’s so smart, and our party is so lucky to have her. She did what needed to be done like she always does.”
“I’d argue she’s even more effective behind the scenes, and I hope she’ll continue to lead us on the right path,” Hennigan said.
Marisa Schultz contributed to this report.
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