Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi clarified on Sunday that she didn’t mean to undermine President Donald Trump’s 2020 State of the Union address, a moment that gained traction online during her tenure as Speaker.
In an interview with ABC’s Jonathan Karl, she described her interaction with Trump as “spontaneous.” Pelosi explained that while tearing up speeches isn’t something she regularly does, she felt compelled to tear one page of Trump’s address. “In the beginning, he was lying. Then the next page, and the next. Honestly, it felt like a manifesto of lies. I thought about tearing the whole speech apart, but that paper is pretty sturdy. I realized I’d have to do it in several tries,” she said, adding that she didn’t plan to make a spectacle of it and imagined her staff’s reaction.
Pelosi also addressed a famous photo of her pointing at Trump during a 2019 Cabinet meeting. She noted that this image has drawn more requests for her autograph than anything else. “When I go out, I joke that I’m leaving because all roads lead to Putin when I’m with him,” she mentioned. Karl pointed out that the White House referred to her as “crazy” when releasing the photo.
“They did me a favor,” she remarked.
In a follow-up, Fox News Digital sought comment from the White House.
Pelosi announced in November her decision not to seek re-election once her current term ends.
Karl asked her what she hoped to be remembered for. “I’m very proud of the Affordable Care Act. It has significantly impacted what working families need in terms of health and financial stability. It’s a cause I will continue to advocate for. The Affordable Care Act not only addresses health needs but fulfills the broader needs of families. If there’s one thing that stands out for me, it’s definitely that,” she concluded.
