Even without the gavel and no longer in a House leadership position, California Rep. Nancy Pelosi remains a dominant force within the Democratic caucus as the party prepares for a second Trump administration.
The 84-year-old Speaker Emerita was a key adversary to President Donald Trump during his first term, known for her high-profile confrontations with him, including tense Oval Office meetings and her dramatic gesture of tearing up his State of the Union speech in 2020.
Earlier this month, the two-time Speaker of the House filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission following her victory in securing a 20th term. While a spokesperson for Pelosi declined to confirm whether she plans to run for reelection, the filing suggests an early indication of her intentions, the Washington Examiner reported.
“There were rumors that she would step aside if Harris won so then the Democrats could do their thing, and then stick around if Trump won because, you know, she believes she needs to lead the anti-Trump forces,” said Steve Maviglio, a Sacramento-based Democratic strategist, in an interview with the Examiner.
Signs are already emerging that Nancy Pelosi will play a central role in leading the House resistance to President-elect Donald Trump during the 119th Congress. On a post-election House Democratic Caucus call, Pelosi reportedly suggested replicating the efforts of a group formed during Trump’s first administration, which focused on defending the Affordable Care Act, according to sources familiar with the discussion.
The San Francisco native and mother of five has spent nearly five decades in politics, starting her career in California before ascending to become the top House Democrat. Pelosi was first elected Speaker of the House in 2007, reclaiming the position in 2019. She stepped down as House Democratic leader in 2022, after Democrats lost the majority, to make way for a new generation of leaders, the Examiner noted.
Pelosi honored a pledge made in 2018 to serve only four more years, a commitment she made under pressure from Democrats who saw her as a political liability in swing districts. Despite stepping back from formal leadership, the former speaker continues to wield significant influence, while Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) assumes a more visible leadership role, the outlet added.
“I think you know her power has always been behind the scenes. She’s never been the headline grabber, the press conference queen,” Maviglio explained. “She makes her moves very subtly, knows what she has to support, and then is able to achieve victory.”
Pelosi played a significant role in privately urging President Joe Biden to step aside this summer. Many believe that if Pelosi had not taken action, the 2024 elections would have been even more costly for down-ballot Democrats.
