In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces here.
When one thinks of who is truly overrated in this world, one of the first names that comes to mind is Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
Yes, she made history as the first female speaker of the House in 2007. Legacy media treated that moment like the first moon landing. But after that box-checking exercise, what will be Pelosi’s legacy in light of her expected announcement that she will not seek reelection in California’s 11th Congressional District in 2026?
IN FOCUS: THE CAMPAIGN TO CENSOR SOCIAL MEDIA ACROSS THE WEST
That district, of course, is part of San Francisco. Once considered the shining jewel of the West Coast, it has become a city where fewer people live. Families are practically extinct, with residents owning more dogs than having children. In fact, the city has the lowest percentage of children of any major city, according to census data. Rampant crime, homelessness, tent cities, and drugs will do that.
Pelosi’s San Francisco is leading not just to a mass exodus of residents, but also of retail stores. A comprehensive study by the San Francisco Standard discovered that, from 2019 to 2023, the once-popular Union Square area alone experienced a 47% vacancy rate. In early 2019, there were 207 stores operating there, but the number has dropped to 107.
Retail chains that have fled include Saks Fifth Avenue, Old Navy, Whole Foods Market, Office Depot, Nordstrom, H&M, Banana Republic, Athleta, and Crate & Barrel. Companies that have moved out of the city include Meta, X, Snap, PayPal, Airbnb, Slack, and Salesforce, among dozens of others.
Now ask yourself this: How often have you seen Pelosi talk about these economic and cultural crises? Instead, all we get is Trump, Trump, Trump in the most personal manner possible.
“It’ll sound like I’m awful about [President Donald] Trump because he’s just a vile creature, the worst thing on the face of the Earth,” she told NBC News this week. “Because he’s the president of the United States, and he does not honor the Constitution of the United States. In fact, he’s turned the Supreme Court into a rogue court. He’s abolished the House of Representatives. He’s chilled the press.”
OK, when exactly did Trump abolish the House of Representatives? How is he not “honoring” the Constitution? As for chilling the press, here’s how Pelosi spoke to a journalist recently:
“Why did you refuse the National Guard on Jan. 6?” she was asked by reporter Alison Steinberg.
“Shut up!” Pelosi shot back while wagging her finger. “I did not refuse the National Guard! The president didn’t send it.”
And when asked by another reporter if Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is the leader of the Democratic Party after she called on Republicans to negotiate with her directly instead of the party’s current leader in the House, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), she again tried to bully the reporter:
“There was a thought from the Republicans that AOC is directing this, and she said that senators are welcome to go to her office directly. Is she driving that?” she was asked.
“Why are you saying such a ridiculous thing?” Pelosi shot back.
“I’m just quoting directly from what AOC said,” the reporter replied, “Do you think there is any credibility to that?”
“She’s not directing this,” Pelosi asserted, adding, “She’s wonderful. She’s a real team player and the rest of that.”
Yep. A real champion of the free press right there. Meanwhile, Trump has taken more questions from the press than any president in history in his second term by a country mile.
So what are some other of Pelosi’s greatest hits that should cement her legacy as an ineffective, divisive, classless leader? Let’s count the ways:
No. 5
At the State of the Union in 2020, before the pandemic hit, Trump concluded his address with Pelosi as House speaker sitting over his left shoulder on the podium. As half the chamber stood and cheered, Pelosi proceeded, infamously, to tear up her copy of the speech.
On cue, here were the unintentionally hilarious headlines that followed:
NBC News: “Conservatives blast Pelosi for tearing up a copy of Trump’s State of the Union address”
Associated Press: “Pelosi shreds Trump’s speech. Right there on the podium.”
CBS News: “Nancy Pelosi rips up Trump’s speech after divisive State of the Union address”
It’s just so predictable.
No. 4
After California businesses were shuttered during the pandemic, Pelosi decided that she was above the law. So she got her hair done at a salon that was otherwise closed to the public. Video showing Pelosi getting her hair done was quickly leaked to the press by the owner, who was obviously upset because of the business she was losing while Pelosi broke the rules. But instead of apologizing, Pelosi played the victim:
“I think that this salon owes me an apology for setting me up,” Pelosi told reporters.
No apology came, while Pelosi got mostly a free pass from the media.
No. 3
“We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of controversy.”
The year was 2010. The bill was the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. And Pelosi was trying to sell the public on the 906-page bill that Democrats were attempting to ram through, which almost nobody had read.
So much like being asked to try a mystery meat blindfolded, Pelosi’s argument was to pass the bill first and find out about all the pork later. Since passing right before Christmas in 2010, the bill has been amended so many times that it now eclipses 20,000 pages. Premiums have skyrocketed.
No. 2
When looking back at who led the charge to oust former President Joe Biden from the party’s 2024 nomination, look no further than Pelosi. And it was she who also pushed for former Vice President Kamala Harris to be his replacement by installing her, Soviet-style, without a vote from the public. But remember, according to her, it is Trump who is the true threat to democracy.
Pelosi later said, after Biden stepped aside, that he belonged on Mount Rushmore. And she was 100% serious.
Yep. Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt … and Joseph Robinette Biden.
There are no words.
No. 1
“The most valuable commodity I know of is information.” — Gordon Gekko.
And when you’re a ranking member of Congress, information on huge government contracts is never in short supply.
Pelosi and her husband, Paul Pelosi, are somehow worth more than $100 million. A big chunk of that fortune was amassed through their amazing ability to buy and sell stocks at precisely the right moment without fail. In fact, the couple is so like Gekko, the villain of Wall Street (1987), an app exists that gives regular investors a heads up on all of Paul Pelosi’s trades. The app, correctly called Autopilot, has been downloaded by more than 100,000 people. And why not? Nancy Pelosi’s portfolio is up 816% in the past decade alone.
But despite how bad this looks, when asked if she backed a bipartisan bill that would ban members of Congress from trading stocks, Pelosi was originally one of the few to oppose it.
“We’re a free market economy,” she said in 2021. “They should be able to participate in that.”
She has since caved on her position after some blowback from within her own party.
At age 85, Pelosi will finally be leaving Congress after nearly four decades.
IN FOCUS: DON’T LET TUCKER CARLSON’S DEFENDERS GASLIGHT YOU ABOUT FREE SPEECH
She will be heralded as one of the greats by legacy media.
But if we’re being honest, her record, rhetoric, and actions tell a much different story of one of the most overrated politicians in our lifetime.
