Nancy Pelosi was visibly emotional on Wednesday as she waited for Kamala Harris to concede the presidential race at Howard University. The former Speaker, known for her fierce loyalty to the Democratic Party’s leadership, appeared tearful as she mingled with Harris supporters, even caught in a photo with a pout and watery eyes. This wasn’t just any concession speech—it marked the end of a nail-biter election that saw Donald Trump pull off a stunning victory, catching many in Washington, D.C., off guard.
Pelosi and Trump, of course, have a long history of mutual disdain, trading public barbs like boxers in a heavyweight match. Just this week, Trump didn’t hold back, stopping short of calling Pelosi “something that starts with a ‘B’” during a speech in Michigan. Trump’s jab was blunt and biting, but for anyone familiar with their political feud, it was hardly shocking.
Pelosi, meanwhile, had her own swipe ready, speculating on MSNBC that Trump was suffering from “cognitive degeneration” and wouldn’t make it through a full term in office. She even warned voters that electing Trump might mean they’d end up with J.D. Vance in the Oval Office, a scenario she claimed would be “horrible” for the country.
“[Voters] have to know that he can’t last as president for four years with his brain deteriorating at the rate that it is… and they may be voting for President Vance, which would be a horrible thing for our country,” Pelosi claimed.
Of course, the Trump campaign fired back with gusto. National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded with a statement to Fox News Digital, calling Pelosi a “decrepit washed-up corrupt politician” and suggesting that she should “go back to the City of San Francisco, which she has totally destroyed.” If the tone sounds harsh, well, welcome to 2024 politics, where niceties are as outdated as flip phones.
“The only thing deteriorating is Nancy Pelosi, who is a decrepit washed-up corrupt politician who America can no longer stand,” Leavitt said. “She should go back to the City of San Francisco, which she has totally destroyed, and never return.”
Pelosi’s tearful appearance might be a sentimental nod to Harris’s historic rise and eventual fall in this election cycle, but it also reflects the deep blow Democrats felt as the results rolled in. This wasn’t just another loss; this was a shock to the party establishment. Harris’s concession meant that Trump’s “America First” platform was back, and with it, a rejection of the left’s messaging that had dominated much of the political discourse over the past few years.
Sweet salty tears from Nancy Pelosi at Kamala’s concession speech today 😂🧂 pic.twitter.com/HbTtyQGsXy
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) November 6, 2024
As Democrats process this defeat, they may want to consider whether clinging to figures like Pelosi—polarizing, entrenched, and increasingly out of touch—actually helps their cause. Pelosi has been a powerful figure in Democratic politics, but her brand of leadership doesn’t resonate with the voters Democrats are struggling to keep. San Francisco, Pelosi’s political backyard, is battling a homelessness crisis, spiraling crime rates, and a decaying downtown that even she might admit isn’t the poster child of Democratic policies.
🚨Democrats in disarray:
Nancy Pelosi is arguing with Donna Brazile at the Kamala Harris defeat speech. pic.twitter.com/y3QQBoQCAT
— Steve Cortes (@CortesSteve) November 6, 2024
Trump’s victory didn’t just catch Democrats off guard—it was a resounding wake-up call that their leadership, represented by figures like Pelosi, might be pushing voters away. While Pelosi stood with watery eyes in D.C., Trump was already laying the groundwork for a comeback, cheered on by a Republican base that feels more emboldened than ever. The emotional display from Pelosi was the last chapter in a brutal campaign season, and if Democrats want to rewrite their future, they might have to turn the page on the old guard that’s led them into yet another defeat.
