Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday that she won’t run for re-election and will retire from Congress when her current term ends in early 2027. Pelosi, 85, became one of the most powerful politicians of modern times and most powerful — and polarizing — women in U.S. history. She led House Democrats from 2003 to 2023 and was the first woman elected as House speaker.
She held the gavel for two four-year stints in that role, helping pass President Obama’s signature legislation and later squaring off against President Trump as the House impeached him twice.
“For almost four decades, Nancy Pelosi has served the American people and worked to make our country better,” Obama said in a statement. “No one was more skilled at bringing people together and getting legislation passed – and I will always be grateful for her support of the Affordable Care Act. She made us proud to be Democrats, and will go down in history as one of the best speakers the House of Representatives has ever had.”
Trump, unsurprisingly, offered a very different take. “I think she’s an evil woman. I’m glad she’s retiring,” Trump told reporters on Thursday. “I thought she was an evil woman who did a poor job, who cost the country a lot in damages and in reputation. I thought she was terrible.”