Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made headlines again recently when she announced her plans to seek another term in office.
During an interview on MSNBC, Pelosi told host Nicole Wallace that she decided to seek another term in office because she’s “exhilarated by the encouragement high to continue resting my great city of San Francisco.
“You have the White House behind you. I have homes in San Francisco behind me, and that is my strength. And the needs that our city has right now really call for me to stay another term. I – had the privilege of representing San Francisco for a long time. They have given me the latitude to serve as Speaker, as a leader for over 20 years, and witness well, visit 87 countries serve 30 years on the intelligence committee. All of those things. At the same time being central to my service was representing my district. Gratitude to them for that. I have agreed to stay on another term, in order to help meet the needs that we have now,” Pelosi said.
Wallace went on to ask Pelosi: “You mentioned that crime everywhere is real. And obviously, your husband was attacked in our beautiful city. And I think of you and I think of him when I see the threats of violence and the reckless and careless language thrown around by Trump and other Republicans now that he’s been indicted in four jurisdictions, against Jack Smith, against Fani Willis. Fani Willis responded to some of your House Republican colleagues who are seeking to reach into her criminal investigation. And I wonder if thinking about your own safety and staying in the Congress anyway was your act of defiance? Your act of saying, ‘I will not be intimidated’?”
“I have to address the needs of my district who have been generous to me and in enabling me to become the first woman speaker of the House, and that’s a little bit of time away from home, as well as now meeting their needs,” Pelosi began.
“So that’s my — that would be my first call on whether I would run or not. My other responsibility is to save our democracy, which we all have, to protect and defend, that’s the oath we take. Now, my whole theme on all of this is our flag is still there,” she added.
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Just last week, Pelosi came under heavy fire for her comments about the worsening relations between the United States and China — over Taiwan, trade, and Beijing’s rise in global influence.
The California Democrat said that the biggest problem between the two economic and military powerhouses is a lack of “shared values,” even if the two nations must reach some sort of agreement to accommodate a “shared planet.”
Pelosi rankled the Chinese government last year when she, as House Speaker and the second in line to the presidency behind Vice President Kamala Harris, visited Taiwan.
But it was the White House’s tepid response to a thinly veiled threat against Pelosi’s aircraft that led to the most outcry from both sides of the aisle.
A commentator for the Chinese government-controlled state media “Global Times” made the threatening remarks on Twitter, writing, “If US fighter jets escort Pelosi’s plane into Taiwan, it is invasion. The PLA has the right to forcibly dispel Pelosi’s plane and the US fighter jets, including firing warning shots and making tactical movements of obstruction. If ineffective, then shoot them down.”
The tweet was from Hu Xijin, editor of the outlet and former Chinese army officer and member of the ruling Communist Party. It has since been removed by Twitter for violating the platform’s rules.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked about the threat and gave an extremely tame response.
“An official who is associated with Chinese State media is suggesting that if Speaker Pelosi tries to go to Taiwan that her plane could be shot down,” Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy said. “Does the president have a response to that?”
“I know you’re asking specifically about the rhetoric that we’re hearing from China. But as it relates to the speaker’s travels, it’s something that we’re just not going to speak to. Right now, that’s a hypothetical. We’re just not going to speak on her schedule,” Jean-Pierre responded. “As we have said multiple times, we give advice and guidance to any members of Congress where they travel … But again, I’m not going to speak to a hypothetical.”
Users on the now-X platform ripped KJP for her lame, tame statement.
“Unbelievable: Karine Jean-Pierre says the White House won’t respond to Chinese state media threats to shoot down Nancy Pelosi’s plane should she visit Taiwan. ‘We’re just not going to speak on her schedule.’ Abject, embarrassing weakness,” wrote Heritage Foundation communications director John Cooper in a tweet containing a clip of Jean-Pierre’s response.
“Low as my opinion of the Biden White House is, I’d have expected their response to a question about a hostile foreign power SHOOTING NANCY PELOSI’S PLANE OUT OF THE SKY to be something stronger than ‘if she dies, she dies,’” National Review senior writer Dan McLaughlin added. “They failed at Americaning.”
“There are no words to express how shamefully the Biden White House has caved, catered and capitulated to China,” Stephen Miller, former senior adviser to President Donald Trump, tweeted. “The damage to our power and prestige is colossal.”
“Uh, sweetheart, you don’t have to speak to her schedule. You can and should speak to the outlandish threats by #China,” Michael D. Brown, former under secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, tweeted. “You don’t even comprehend what you’re saying. You only know what’s in your notes. China knows that, too. And your boss, @POTUS , he’s in the bag for China.”
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