Trump, Lawmakers React to Pelosi's Retirement

Pelosi announced her retirement in a video on social media on Thursday morning.

Published: 11/6/2025, 1:25:34 PM EST

Trump, Lawmakers React to Pelosi's Retirement — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California holds the gavel at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 3, 2019. (Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo)

President Donald Trump on Thursday said House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) decision not to seek reelection is a "great thing for America," while her fellow Democrats praised her decades-long career in Congress.

Pelosi, the nation's first and only female House Speaker, often challenged Trump, most notably leading impeachment proceedings against the president during his first term.

"She was evil, corrupt, and only focused on bad things for our country," Trump told Fox News. "She was rapidly losing control of her party and it was never coming back. I'm very honored she impeached me twice and failed miserably twice. Nancy Pelosi is a highly overrated politician."

In one notable moment, then-House Speaker Pelosi ripped up Trump's State of the Union Address as an act of opposition, saying afterwards she felt liberated after she tore up the "manifesto of mistruths" in February 2020.

The 85-year-old California congresswoman announced her retirement in a video on social media on Thursday morning.

Pelosi began serving Congress in 1987.

She was first elected by her party to be speaker of the House in 2007. She served until 2011, when Democrats lost control of the lower chamber, before reclaiming the speaker's gavel from 2019 to 2023.

In 2024, Pelosi was awarded by former President Joe Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom applauded Pelosi's historic career.

"Nancy Pelosi has inspired generations," Newsom wrote on X. "Her courage and conviction to San Francisco, California, and our nation has set the standard for what public service should be. Her impact on this nation is unmatched."

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) issued a lengthy statement on Pelosi's retirement, praising her "tenacity" and "intellect" and citing her accomplishments.

Pelosi was the chief of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. More recently, she played a major role in passing Proposition 50, a redistricting effort that would allow California to pick up as many as five additional congressional seats.

"She has been an indelible part of every major progressive accomplishment in the 21st century — her work in Congress delivered affordable health care to millions, created countless jobs, raised families out of poverty, cleaned up pollution, brought LGBTQ+ rights into the mainstream, and pulled our economy back from the brink of destruction not once, but twice," the California congressman wrote on X.

While Pelosi served as a political powerhouse for decades, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) suggested that her retirement represents a major shift in her party.

“The old guard has been repudiated, and the radicals are taking over the Democratic Party," Johnson said. "Even the famous San Francisco liberal is not far-left enough for the neo-Marxists, and we commend her for her service.”

Pelosi will retire at the end of her current term in January 2027. Prior to her retirement announcement, Pelosi already faced primary challenges in the next term by several candidates, including Sen. Scott Wiener (D-Calif.) and Saikat Chakrabarti, former top aide to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).