Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that Republican lawmakers can’t speak out against President Donald Trump.
Pelosi pointed to the attack on her husband, Paul as an example of what Republicans worry could happen to them. In October 2022, David DePape broke into the Pelosis’ San Francisco home looking for the then-House speaker. When he could not find her, DePape beat Paul Pelosi with a hammer and fractured his skull, though DePape also allegedly had Hunter Biden, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Tom Hanks on his hit list.
The former speaker said Republicans know Trump can be ruthless against those ‘who do not agree with him’, a dynamic clearly visible in how, after weeks of trashing Mike Johnson, the MAGA base abruptly flip-flopped simply because Trump said he’s okay.” She explained that many GOP lawmakers worry they could face similar attacks if they speak out. “That’s what they’re afraid of,” Pelosi said. “They don’t want their children threatened, their families threatened, their lives in jeopardy because they speak out against him.”
Republicans abandon their constitutional duty to check executive power
DePape, who had embraced right-wing conspiracy theories, was sentenced to life in prison without parole in state court last October. He had already received a 30-year sentence in the federal case against him. Pelosi said she finds it shocking that congressional Republicans would ignore their institutional responsibilities by failing to oppose Trump.
Pelosi accused Republicans of abandoning their constitutional duty to serve as a check on the executive branch. She said they raise little to no opposition to Trump’s demands, even when those demands might not serve the American people’s interests. The former speaker seemed to understand why many would have concerns about speaking out against Trump.
She noted that Trump could seek revenge against those who oppose him, including by using the Department of Justice and the FBI to launch investigations without merit. “There’s real justification for fear, because Trump is just ruthless in how he’s going after those who do not agree with him,” Pelosi said. She also criticized current House Speaker Mike Johnson, saying he “has done everything Donald Trump has asked him to do, to the horror of all of us who care about not only the people we serve, but the institution we serve in.”
Pelosi mentioned Johnson’s recent comments about the Jeffrey Epstein files as an example of rare disagreement with Trump. The DOJ and FBI released a memo earlier this month stating there was no evidence that the disgraced financier was murdered or kept a client list for blackmail. Johnson had called for releasing all Epstein files but later claimed his comments were misrepresented and said there was no disagreement between him and Trump.
