In an exclusive interview with Anderson Cooper, Nancy Pelosi has spoken out for the first time since the October 28 attack on her husband Paul, about the moments that followed the terrifying event. She described herself as being fearful and shocked when the police knocked on her Washington D.C. door to inform her about what happened, on the night of the incident. “I never thought it would be Paul… I [was] thinking my children [or] my grandchildren.” Pelosi affirmed.
During the interview, Pelosi also talked about her future plans in the US political landscape. She revealed how the recent attack on her husband has changed her perspective on her professional career, how her safety, and that of her family, have become a matter of extreme relevance for her, suggesting that if her role within the Democratic Party might put her and her loved ones in danger, then she might decide to resign.
After these comments, the Speaker of the House expanded further and warned that if the Democrats fail to maintain the majority in the House of Representatives, then she might likely retire from politics. It is unclear whether that might occur at the end of her term or right after these midterms elections.
Pelosi believes that, “this is not a path that we can continue on. [And] we want people to run for office, local or in every way, and you can’t say to them, ‘You’re risking the safety of your families by going forward.’”
For most Democrats, the survival of U.S. democracy is at stake. For the Republicans, winning would mean taking back control after the defeat at the Presidential elections in 2020. The stakes are high for both parties, but for Pelosi there is now also an element of the personal safety of those who are willing to serve their country.
