Oh, the irony just keeps on coming, folks. In a stunning display of rhetoric that would make even the most seasoned crime boss blush, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently let slip what she really thinks about her political opponents.
In a candid interview, she reportedly told Republican leaders, “We’re out to get you, you’re dead.” Yes, you heard that right. The same Pelosi who’s been preaching about democracy and unity decided to take a page out of the mob boss handbook.
Pelosi didn’t stop there, of course. She went on to compare former President Donald Trump to a fascist. That’s right, she pulled out the old fascist card again, in case anyone had forgotten her feelings on the matter. This comes just weeks after Trump was shot in the ear by a would-be assassin—a moment that would give most people pause about their political rhetoric. But not Pelosi! No, she’s doubling down, pounding the table like she’s auditioning for a role in The Godfather.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden took to the airwaves to give an Oval Office address about the dangers of heated political rhetoric, conveniently overlooking his own party’s contribution to the problem. Biden called for unity and cooler heads, saying that “politics must never be a literal battlefield.” Wise words, right?
But then, in a classic Biden move, he turned right around and refused to change his own rhetoric. It’s apparently the Republicans who need to tone it down. You can almost hear the collective eye-roll from anyone paying attention.
Let’s be real here: if you genuinely believe that someone is a fascist dictator-in-waiting, you might start thinking that drastic measures are justified. And that’s where this kind of rhetoric gets dangerous. Pelosi’s laser focus on taking down Trump—whom she describes as “unpatriotic” and compares to fascist regimes—isn’t just political theater; it’s feeding into a narrative that could have real-world consequences.
Pelosi also made it clear that she wants nothing to do with Republicans who have any fondness for Trump. She’s even turned down invitations from freshmen Republicans to events celebrating their shared Italian heritage. Instead of seeing these as opportunities to bridge divides, she flatly refused, saying, “I do not like you. I’m out to get you.” Because nothing says statesmanship like refusing to even sit down with someone from the other side.
And let’s not forget Biden’s little quip about House Speaker Mike Johnson being “dead on arrival.” After the attempted assassination of Trump, you’d think Biden might choose his words a little more carefully. But nope, he just couldn’t resist that bit of verbal jousting.
Now, all this tough talk from Pelosi and Biden might make them feel like they’re rallying the troops, but it’s worth remembering that political violence in this country has disproportionately come from the left. Let’s not forget the congressional Republicans who were nearly killed at a baseball practice or the plan to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh. And yet, it’s the Republicans who are constantly told to dial it down.
Biden and Pelosi have even tried to draw parallels between the attack on Pelosi’s husband and the shooting of Trump. But let’s be honest—the two incidents couldn’t be more different. While the Pelosi incident involved a hammer-wielding homeless man, the attempted assassination of Trump was a political act aimed at taking out a major figure in the GOP. Yet Biden and Pelosi continue to push this false equivalency as if the stakes are the same.
In the end, all this does is raise more questions about the double standards in political discourse today. Whether it’s the January 6 protests being framed as an insurrection while a pipe bomb discovered at the DNC is quietly swept under the rug or the convenient forgetfulness surrounding Harris’s presence at the DNC that day, it’s clear that the narrative is being carefully controlled.
So, while Pelosi and Biden continue to preach unity and civility out of one side of their mouths, they’re also stoking the flames of division with the other. And as long as they keep doing that, the rest of us will be left wondering when—or if—the rhetoric will ever match the reality.
