It’s hard to remember a time when our government didn’t look like a nursing home. The last time we didn’t have a septuagenarian—or older—in the Oval Office was in 2016, and this year, the three members of Congress who died (rest in peace) died of old age. So it must have been really hard for Nancy Pelosi to buck the trend—and retire at the ripe age of 85. (Thank. God.)
On Thursday, the first female House Speaker tweeted a nearly six-minute video extolling San Francisco and paying homage to the city she’s represented for nearly four decades. “I want you, my fellow San Franciscans, to be the first to know—I will not be seeking reelection to Congress,” she said. “With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your proud representative.”
Following Pelosi’s announcement, several politicians—including Hillary Clinton and Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas)—thanked her for her service and credited her influence. Former president Barack Obama said she’ll go down in history as “one of the best speakers the House of Representatives has ever had.” Even Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who’s been seemingly pulling a reverse John Fetterman as of late, went on CNN to say, “I’m very impressed at her ability to get things done. I wish we could get things done for our party like Nancy Pelosi was able to deliver for her party.” (But never forget: MTG was caught liking a comment in 2019 that said a “bullet to the head” could remove Pelosi from her Speaker position.)
On the other end of the MAGA spectrum, current House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) sensed an opportunity to whine about Tuesday’s Blue Wave and lamented Pelosi’s move as a result of “radicals” taking over the Democratic Party. “That is a very important sign that I hope that you all will delve into,” he said. Delve, we shall!
If anyone was incredibly happy about the news, however, it was Trump, whom Pelosi made an enemy with on day one of his first term, when she rejected his handshake and deliberately ripped up a copy of his State of the Union address. “The retirement of Nancy Pelosi is a great thing for America,” Trump texted to Fox News’ Peter Doocy, calling her a “highly overrated politician.” “She was evil, corrupt, and only focused on bad things for our country. She was rapidly losing control of her party, and it was never coming back. I’m very honored that she impeached me twice and failed miserably twice.”
Pelosi won her first election in 1987, and “broke the marble ceiling” when she became the first woman to hold positions as both the Democratic Whip in 2001 and the Democratic Leader in 2002. She was House Speaker from 2007 to 2011 and from 2019 to 2023, and during her 20 terms, she helped architect the Affordable Care Act and Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, which permitted workers to sue employers for discriminatory pay.
Pelosi also, however, allegedly knew about the CIA waterboarding its prisoners in the early 2000s. She endorsed anti-abortion Democrats, she supported members of Congress trading stocks, and she’s been a staunch supporter of Israel (though her stance has softened in recent months). And, like any quintessential establishment Democrat, she’s cringingly centrist. The stand-out Pelosi moment for me is when she introduced the Justice in Policing Act of 2020—it was good legislation, but the milestone was underscored by the fact that she and other Democratic lawmakers dressed in kente stoles and bent a knee to announce it.
Speaking of gerontocracy, while recovering in the hospital from hip surgery in December, Pelosi whipped the vote against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) to lead the House Oversight Committee, instead backing Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who was 75 and had been diagnosed with throat cancer six months earlier. Connolly became the committee’s ranking Democrat but resigned four months later. He then passed away in May, sparking an endless stream of think pieces about how Democratic leaders were keeping a literal death grip on their power and refusing to step aside to make way for their younger counterparts. In September 2023, Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) died at age 90—and while she remains the longest-serving female senator, she tainted her storied career by refusing to resign despite months of rumors that she was suffering from shingles and memory loss. In May, Axios reported that of the 30 House Democrats aged 75 or older, more than half plan to run again in 2026.
So don’t get me wrong: Pelosi could have done with retiring a few terms ago. But her stepping down is long overdue—and one that other politicians should take note of. While Pelosi will retire as one of the oldest politicians in Congress, she’s still not in the top three. That accolade goes to Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)—the literal oldest member of both chambers—who has refused to rule out running in 2026. So, well, we’ll take what we can get.
