Pelosi is playing very dirty games in Congress.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has reportedly ordered her fellow Democrats against rushing to support House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the event of a potential vote to remove him, citing concerns about his trustworthiness.
According to Newsmax, Pelosi, a Democrat from California, argues that it would be wise for Democrats to allow Republicans to address the internal turmoil within their party. She has specifically advised Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and others within his leadership team to exercise caution when considering support for McCarthy.
It’s worth noting that Pelosi and McCarthy, both Californians, have had a strained relationship, with McCarthy once making a quip about using Pelosi’s gavel to hit her in the head during her tenure as speaker. Nevertheless, Democrats assert that the ultimate decision on whether to intervene in the event of a motion to remove McCarthy rests with Jeffries, the Minority Leader, rather than Pelosi.
As of now, Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, has not publicly expressed his stance on how Democrats should respond if a motion to oust McCarthy from the speaker’s seat is initiated.
Traditionally, the minority party often seeks to elect one of its own members as speaker in such situations. However, Democrats also have the option to abstain from voting, which could thwart the efforts of those seeking McCarthy’s removal.
Meanwhile, Aaron Bennett, a spokesperson for Pelosi, emphasized that she has consistently advocated for every member to follow the lead of their leader, Hakeem Jeffries.
Jeffries, on the other hand, has reportedly dismissed the situation as hypothetical and privately conveyed to his leadership team that Democrats should maintain unity when it comes to the matter of the speaker.
Some Democrats interviewed by Politico share Pelosi’s viewpoint, asserting that Jeffries should refrain from making any deals with McCarthy, with one individual suggesting that such cooperation should be contingent on McCarthy’s aspirations to become speaker.