Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s decision to step away from Congress drew a predictably sharp reaction from President Donald Trump, who called her departure “a great thing for America” and mocked her long tenure in Washington.
Speaking exclusively to Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy, Trump offered his first comments on the California Democrat’s retirement. “The retirement of Nancy Pelosi is a great thing for America,” Trump said. “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 she impeached me twice and failed miserably twice. Nancy Pelosi is a highly overrated politician.”
Doocy shared Trump’s remarks Thursday morning during a segment on America’s Newsroom. “I just chatted with President Trump about this breaking news that Nancy Pelosi will be leaving Washington,” Doocy said, adding that the president seemed in good spirits about the news.
Fox anchor Dana Perino noted that Trump and Pelosi “have tangled a bit in the past,” referring to years of fierce political combat between the two. “The two of them did not get along at all,” Doocy said. “But like many historic figures here in Washington, President Trump will outlast her here in town.”
Trump’s statement was characteristically unsparing toward one of his most persistent adversaries. The pair clashed repeatedly during his presidency, from government funding fights to her decision to launch two impeachment proceedings against him — both of which ended in acquittal.
Pelosi, 85, announced her retirement earlier in the day in a video message to her constituents in San Francisco, saying she would not seek reelection next year. “I will not be seeking reelection to Congress,” she said, calling her decades in office an “honor.”
“My message to the city I love is this: San Francisco, know your power,” she continued. “We have made history. We have made progress. We have always led the way. And now we must continue to do so by remaining full participants in our democracy and fighting for the American ideals we hold dear.”
Pelosi’s decision comes after Democrats’ disappointing performance in several recent races and amid growing calls within her party for generational change. Fox’s Perino noted that Pelosi’s exit may signal a broader shift among senior Democrats. “You have to wonder if there are more older Democrats that are going to follow suit, especially after Tuesday’s results,” she said. “They want change in the Democratic Party.”
Trump’s glee at Pelosi’s exit underscores how central she was to his political battles and how much her leadership defined Democratic resistance to his presidency. Still, his comments also reflected a note of triumph — not just over Pelosi’s retirement, but over what he sees as her failed attempts to weaken him politically.
“She failed miserably twice,” Trump said of Pelosi’s impeachment efforts. “She was losing control of her party, and it was never coming back.”
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