The following is the complete transcript of an interview with House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Jan. 5, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And we’re joined by Speaker Emerita, Nancy Pelosi. It’s so good to see you right here in particular person.
SPEAKER EMERITA NANCY PELOSI: My pleasure to be right here. Thank you a lot.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You know, tomorrow morning on the Capitol you and different members of Congress might be there to certify the election win in 2024 of Donald Trump. There’s an unprecedented degree of safety, partly due to what occurred 4 years in the past with the violent assault by his supporters to vary the result of the final election. Why do you assume that so many members of the American public determined that was not disqualifying when it got here to reelecting him president?
SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: Well it- once more, thanks for the chance to speak about this as a result of the denial that that they had concerning the election, which is what they have been appearing upon, and the denial they’ve had since then about what occurred on Jan- January 6 is simply appalling. They wish to revise historical past. And they just- they simply cannot. But I’m so glad that they’ve elevated safety and I’m hoping that this might be very peaceable because- the general public is aware of it. Now to your query, I believe- it is not, I- I would not say that the American individuals disregarded this. They simply had a unique view as to what was of their curiosity, economically and the remaining. So I do not- I do not name this a disregard of January 6. I simply name it one thing that they noticed of their curiosity economically.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Even simply final night time at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump was screening a documentary concerning the 2020 election, claiming his win and attempting to speak concerning the authorized challenges he had. There appears to be a continued effort to assert that he gained in 2020.
SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: It’s actually unhappy. It actually is gloomy. And I do not know concerning the movie that he had and the remaining, but it surely’s- it is nearly sick that he can be considering that in 2020. He’s gained the election now, that might be clear- that might be clear, and tomorrow he might be clearly- we might be accepting the outcomes of the Electoral College. So he must be triumphant about that. But to be nonetheless attempting to struggle a struggle that he- he is aware of he misplaced is- is absolutely unhappy.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You know, the President-elect has mentioned that within the first 9 minutes of his new time period, he’ll pardon lots of those that participated in January 6. He mentioned he’ll have a look at it on a case-by-case foundation, however in wanting again at what occurred 4 years in the past, there are recordings, there’s video proof of what occurred. This is private for you, a few of these rioters in your workplace. chanting your title. One of them, one of many defendants: “We have been on the lookout for Nancy to shoot her within the friggin mind, however we did not discover her.” For you, that is private. So if you hear about pardons, do you assume the non-violent attackers need to be pardoned?
SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: The non-violent- I believe that is a violent attacker, with the intent–
MARGARET BRENNAN: – the violence itself.
SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: Yeah–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –The violent language, you assume.
SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: The violent language- sure, the intention. And in fact, the intention to assault the Vice President of the United States. Now it did not finish that day. As you understand, he referred to as out to those individuals to proceed their violence, my husband being a sufferer of all of that, and it still- he nonetheless has accidents from that assault. So it simply goes on and on. It is not one thing that occurs after which it is over. No, as soon as you’re attacked, you’ve gotten penalties that proceed. So I do not- it is actually a wierd one that’s going to be President of the United States, who thinks that it is okay to pardon people who find themselves engaged in an assault. But let’s- you understand, let’s do that. Let’s simply say okay to the American individuals. This is what that is about. Do not be conned by the denial of the election of 2020 and- why would he be saying that? But he- however he’s. And then on prime of that, the denial of what occurred on January 6.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But among the 1600 defendants right here have been actually solely charged with trespassing. And if you have a look at the profiles, University of Chicago did a research, half of those that broke into the Capitol have been white collar staff. They have been small enterprise house owners. Didn’t essentially have a felony file. When you have a look at that profile, you mentioned intention. It- it was the intention itself, you assume, that must be thought-about extra so than the crime. You know that- that it casts the crime itself of trespassing in a unique gentle for you.
SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: Well the President mentioned he would go on a case-by-case foundation. So I assume that- that a few of these individuals might not have engaged within the violent actions that among the others did. Look at this stunning Capitol, the dome constructed by Lincoln. Under Lincoln’s management in the course of the Civil War, they mentioned, do not construct the dome. It takes an excessive amount of metal and particular person energy, manpower, they mentioned, from the battle effort. And he mentioned, no, I’ve to indicate the resilience of America. And then underneath that dome you noticed, you noticed flags, the flags that, you understand, simply horrible flags underneath the dome of Lincoln. And so it was a tragedy, and we can’t be in denial about what it was. If the President goes to go on a case by case foundation, I hope he does, after which perhaps–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Trespassers, you’d be snug with pardoning?
SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: Well, simply depends upon how they outline what that’s. But the- however I do know that a few of that encouragement after which the observe up that- that so many individuals have been threatened, together with me and- and to my dwelling, on the lookout for me and discovering my husband, and as I say, who nonetheless suffers from head accidents from- on that day. So these items do not simply occur and go away when you’ve gotten a head harm. But anyway to- to- to see the menace to so many individuals in elective workplace, now going past me, however so many individuals in elective workplace, it should not be a menace to your loved ones that you’ve got chosen to do public service.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You wrote in your ebook about that 2022 assault in your husband, and also you mentioned your daughter informed you [if] she had identified what you have been signing up for, she would by no means have given you her blessing to run for workplace within the first place. Do you assume that this menace of home violent extremism is having a chilling impact on new expertise and- and anybody working for workplace?
SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: Well, I definitely hope not. But over time, once I was encouraging individuals to run for workplace, particularly ladies, they might say, we might by no means take the abuse that you simply take, and that was actually simply abuse. It wasn’t bodily, it was criticism and the remainder of that, and that we do not need our kids subjected to that. And sure, I do assume it is going to have a destructive affect on individuals working for public workplace. Just- you understand, in different phrases, should you’re- should you’re a mother, they usually go after you as a- as a mother, and your youngster comes dwelling crying from faculty as a result of anyone mentioned a destructive factor, as a result of they noticed it on TV, that the opposite aspect mentioned one thing unhealthy about you, you may not run for workplace.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So you assume it is going to discourage notably ladies—
NANCY PELOSI: Particularly ladies.
MARGARET BRENNAN: —from working?
SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: Yeah, I do. I imply, I do know that it has. But I hope that it’s going to not, that we’ll have shine a vivid gentle on this and simply say, that is unacceptable. This is unacceptable. See, for girls, they always- they always- ladies are identified to be extra, let’s consider, moral, than males. And so once they go after ladies candidates, they go after their ethics. And they will say this, that and the opposite factor. And then the kid comes dwelling from faculty crying as a result of anyone mentioned a nasty factor about mother on TV. And nobody- no one needs that. So hopefully the brilliant gentle shining on that can reduce- scale back that. But I believe that girls have confirmed that they are- are extra moral, and that they- they’re, nicely, perhaps they don’t seem to be extra moral, they’re all moral, however that they can- then stand up to that criticism.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you- in the course of the first Trump presidency, as speaker, you took very public stance to problem Donald Trump when he was president. Democrats now are within the minority on this new congress. Tom Suozzi from New York just lately mentioned, it could be a mistake for Democrats to reflexively oppose Trump’s concepts and model themselves a “nationwide resistance motion.” This is a Democrat who gained in a Trump district, and he is warning fellow Democrats. Do you agree resistance is a nasty technique this time?
SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: Well I- let me simply say, traditionally, once I grew to become speaker, it was once I ran with a Republican president, George Bush, and we opposed his insurance policies. He needed to denationalise Social Security. And so we went in opposition to that, and we gained. And then once I gained once more as speaker, George- Donald Trump was president, and we ran in opposition to him by saying, we will save the Affordable Care Act. This is- that is it. We have been saving Social Security at first. Now we’re saving the Affordable Care Act. So we gained the bulk, sure, by disagreeing on sure factors. That doesn’t suggest you disagree on each problem, no. But it does imply that you simply defend the values that deliver you to Congress, the imaginative and prescient that you’ve got about well being care, the values that you’ve got about well being care, once more, as a result of well being care is a matter that’s so necessary as a result of well being care value are so excessive that- that it impacts whether or not you’ll be able to have housing, whether or not you’ll be able to have meals on the desk, and the remaining. And so—
MARGARET BRENNAN: So you’d encourage Democrats to work with Donald Trump on a problem like well being care?
SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: I do not know that he needs to be on well being care.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Are there alternatives to work with him on something?
SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: No- on different points. No. On well being care, no. But no, simply be- nicely, we both- with George Bush on many points, and- a number of points, let me say, and no, I do not- I do not say that we must always work with him on well being care. I’m saying we’re on the market to guard the Affordable Care Act. He mentioned, Obamacare sucks. Now that is not one thing we wish to work with, that Obamacare sucks. So we wish to be on the market to avoid wasting the Affordable Care Act, and acknowledge that lowering the price of well being care can allow individuals to have housing, have meals on the desk and the remaining. And that’s- there are research that present the connection between means to have housing and meals when you’ve gotten good, reasonably priced care, well being care.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Speaker Emerita, thanks in your time immediately.
SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: Thank you. My pleasure to be with you. Thank you.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And we’ll be proper again with much more “Face the Nation.” Stay with us.
