OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
A rhetorical, satirical question House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) asked her documentary filmmaker daughter during a 2020 phone call with then-Vice President Mike Pence is sure to become a meme favorite of her political opponents.
The question was revealed during the premiere of Alexandra Pelosi’s HBO documentary, “Pelosi in the House,” which aired on the pay channel on Tuesday. Pelosi was listening to Pence speak during a teleconference about the COVID-19 pandemic with her phone muted while Alexandra Pelosi, her daughter, and a documentarian, was filming her.
During the segment, Alexandra asked her mother, “What is the point of this call?” The California Democrat responded, “They’re checking a box.”
Not long afterward, the Speaker unmuted her phone to inform Pence in a sarcastic tone, “This has been a useful exchange,” after which there were questions about how the Trump administration was tracking the virus before signing off, “Happy Easter!”
When Pelosi hung up on the call, she asked her daughter a question that is sure to be trolled by her political opponents: “Am I a b**ch?”
Pelosi is stepping away from a Democratic Party leadership role in January. Rep. Hakim Jeffries (D-N.Y.) was selected by party members on Tuesday to lead the party; he will become House Minority Leader when the new Congress is sworn in the first week of January, making him the first black member of Congress to hold the position.
Last month, the outgoing Speaker angered Republicans when she blamed them for a tragic mass shooting at an LGBTQ club in Colorado where five people were killed.
Marking Transgender Day of Remembrance, the Speaker issued a press release from her office in which she blamed Republicans who are aligned with former President Donald Trump for violence against the LGBTQ community.
“As our nation marks Transgender Day of Remembrance, the House Democratic Caucus mourns the countless Americans stolen away by the scourge of transphobic violence, a crisis that continues to disproportionately harm trans people of color. Today, and every day, let us offer comfort to grieving loved ones, honor the memory of those killed and continue fighting to save lives from the wicked forces of hate,” the Speaker said.
“That fight remains more urgent than ever, as right-wing extremists target transgender Americans’ most fundamental rights and freedoms. Whether spouting dangerous rhetoric from cable news desks or openly bullying schoolchildren from the halls of power, MAGA Republicans are cruelly undermining the safety and well-being of our transgender community. Horrified by such shameless bigotry, House Democrats are proud to march alongside our trans friends, neighbors and siblings as we work to uphold justice and dignity for all. That is why we enacted fully-inclusive federal hate crime protections with the historic Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. And it is why the Democratic House has twice passed the Equality Act, landmark legislation extending the full protections of the Civil Rights Act to LGBTQ Americans,” she said.
“Heartbroken for so many beautiful souls murdered by hate and guided by relentless activists across the country, let us renew our resolve to build the future that our children deserve. Together, we will forge a safer, more just America – one where all of its people can freely and proudly exercise their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” she said.
Those remarks came prior to news of the attack; afterward, she issued another press release.
“Americans awoke this morning to horrific news: a brutal attack on an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs. Our hearts break at the senseless slaughter of at least five beautiful souls and the many more injured or forever traumatized, at what was a sanctuary of safety and solidarity,” she said.
“The attack on Club Q, which fell on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance, is despicable — further shattering the sense of safety of LGBTQ Americans across the country. While Democrats have taken important steps to combat gun violence this Congress, this deadly attack is a challenge to our conscience and a reminder that we must keep fighting to do more,” the Speaker added.
