Trump celebrates ‘evil’ Pelosi’s retirement as ‘a great thing for America’; says he’s honored she impeached him twice and failed miserably

Trump reacts to Nancy Pelosi’s retirement: US President Donald Trump on Thursday, October 6, hailed former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s announcement that she will retire from Congress, calling it “a great thing for America.” “The retirement of Nancy Pelosi is a great thing for America. She was evil, corrupt, and only focused on bad things for our country,” Trump said, in a quote shared on social media by Fox News host Peter Doocy.

“She was rapidly losing control of her party, and it was never coming back,” Trump further said, according to Doocy. “I'm very honored that she impeached me twice and failed miserably twice.”

Nancy Pelosi's retirement after four decades in Congress

The 85-year-old Pelosi announced Thursday that she will not seek reelection to the US House, closing a storied career representing San Francisco for nearly 40 years. Pelosi also holds the distinction of being the first woman to serve as US House Speaker and is widely regarded as one of the most powerful women in American politics.

During her first tenure as Speaker, from 2007 to 2011, she guided the House in passing landmark legislation, including the Affordable Care Act, the Dodd-Frank financial reforms after the Great Recession, and the repeal of the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy affecting LGBTQ service members.

Pelosi and Trump: A history of political clashes

Pelosi’s time as Speaker was marked by frequent clashes with Trump. She led the House through two impeachments of the Republican president, establishing herself as one of his most formidable political adversaries and the Democratic Party’s counterbalance to him.

Trump was impeached by the House twice: first in 2019 for withholding US aid to Ukraine amid Russian aggression, and then in 2021, shortly after the January 6 Capitol attack. He was acquitted by the Senate both times.