Nancy Pelosi to retire from Congress; Trump celebrates

Nancy Pelosi, the California Democrat who made historical past as the primary feminine speaker of the Home of Representatives, mentioned Thursday she won’t search reelection to Congress subsequent 12 months.

Pelosi, 85, has served within the Home for practically 4 many years, presiding over the passage of main laws and serving as a number one opposition determine in opposition to President Donald Trump.

“There was no higher honor for me than to face on the Home ground and say, ‘I communicate for the folks of San Francisco,'” Pelosi mentioned in a video posted on social media.

“I’ve actually cherished serving as your voice in Congress,” she mentioned. “That’s the reason I would like you, my fellow San Franciscans, to be the primary to know: I cannot be searching for reelection to Congress.”

“With a grateful coronary heart, I stay up for my closing 12 months of service as your proud consultant,” Pelosi mentioned.

Pelosi turned essentially the most highly effective girl in congressional historical past in 2002, when she was elected Home minority chief by her fellow Democrats.

When the get together took majority management of the chamber in 2007, Pelosi turned the primary — and thus far solely — girl to wield the speaker’s gavel.

She held the title till Democrats misplaced their Home majority in 2011. When the get together received the chamber again in 2019, Pelosi served as Home speaker for a second time.

After Republicans regained majority management of the Home following the 2022 midterm elections, Pelosi stepped apart because the Democrats’ chief. However she remained in Congress, and was known as speaker emerita.

“Nancy Pelosi has impressed generations,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom mentioned in an X submit later Thursday morning.

“Her braveness and conviction to San Francisco, California, and our nation has set the usual for what public service needs to be. Her influence on this nation is unmatched,” Newsom mentioned.

Trump slammed Pelosi following her retirement announcement, calling it “an amazing factor for America.”

“She was evil, corrupt and solely centered on unhealthy issues for our nation,” Trump informed a Fox Information reporter. “She was quickly dropping management of her get together and it was by no means coming again. I am very honored she impeached me twice and failed miserably twice. Nancy Pelosi is a extremely overrated politician.”

Underneath Pelosi’s management, the Home handed seismic payments that created sweeping change throughout the nation.

Maybe most notably, she was instrumental to the passage within the Home of the Reasonably priced Care Act, former President Barack Obama‘s signature legislative achievement. The well being care regulation, which has survived quite a few makes an attempt by Republicans to repeal it, is now on the middle of an ongoing authorities shutdown.

Throughout her second stint as speaker, Pelosi clashed overtly with Trump — inside and out of doors the White Home.

In a heated conflict at a White Home assembly in 2019 on the administration’s withdrawal of troops from Syria, Pelosi stood up and raised a finger to Trump. The then-president launched a photograph of the second, claiming Pelosi had an “unhinged meltdown” — however Pelosi embraced the picture, displaying it atop her Twitter profile.

Pelosi additionally presided over the primary impeachment of Trump within the Home in December 2019. The fees of abuse of energy and obstruction of Congress stemmed from accusations that Trump had pressured Ukraine’s president to launch investigations into his political foes.

Trump was acquitted within the Senate.

Pelosi has remained a vocal Trump critic. In a latest CNN interview, she referred to as Trump a “vile creature” and “worst factor on the face of the Earth.”

Clarification: This text has been up to date to make clear that Pelosi was instrumental to the passage of the Reasonably priced Care Act within the Home.