Transcript: House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Jan. 5, 2025

The next is the total transcript of an interview with Home Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Jan. 5, 2025.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And we’re joined by Speaker Emerita, Nancy Pelosi. It is so good to see you right here in particular person.

SPEAKER EMERITA NANCY PELOSI: My pleasure to be right here. Thanks a lot.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You realize, tomorrow morning on the Capitol you and different members of Congress can be there to certify the election win in 2024 of Donald Trump. There’s an unprecedented degree of safety, partly due to what occurred 4 years in the past with the violent assault by his supporters to vary the result of the final election. Why do you assume that so many members of the American public determined that was not disqualifying when it got here to reelecting him president?

SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: Effectively it- once more, thanks for the chance to speak about this as a result of the denial that they’d in regards to the election, which is what they have been performing upon, and the denial they’ve had since then about what occurred on Jan- January 6 is simply appalling. They wish to revise historical past. They usually just- they simply cannot. However I am so glad that they’ve elevated safety and I am hoping that this can be very peaceable because- the general public is aware of it. Now to your query, I believe- it is not, I- I would not say that the American individuals disregarded this. They only had a special view as to what was of their curiosity, economically and the remaining. So I do not- I do not name this a disregard of January 6. I simply name it one thing that they noticed of their curiosity economically.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Even simply final evening at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump was screening a documentary in regards to the 2020 election, claiming his win and attempting to speak in regards to the authorized challenges he had. There appears to be a continued effort to say that he received in 2020. 

SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: It is actually unhappy. It actually is unhappy. And I do not know in regards to the movie that he had and the remaining, nevertheless it’s- it is nearly sick that he could be pondering that in 2020. He is received the election now, that can be clear- that can be clear, and tomorrow he can be clearly- we can be accepting the outcomes of the Electoral Faculty. So he needs to be triumphant about that. However to be nonetheless attempting to struggle a struggle that he- he is aware of he misplaced is- is actually unhappy. 

MARGARET BRENNAN: You realize, the President-elect has mentioned that within the first 9 minutes of his new time period, he’ll pardon lots of those that participated in January 6. He mentioned he’ll have a look at it on a case-by-case foundation, however in wanting again at what occurred 4 years in the past, there are recordings, there’s video proof of what occurred. That is private for you, a few of these rioters in your workplace. chanting your identify. One among them, one of many defendants: “We have been searching for Nancy to shoot her within the friggin mind, however we did not discover her.” For you, that is private. So if you hear about pardons, do you assume the non-violent attackers should be pardoned? 

SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: The non-violent- I believe that is a violent attacker, with the intent–

MARGARET BRENNAN: – the violence itself.  

SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: Yeah–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –The violent language, you assume. 

SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: The violent language- sure, the intention. And naturally, the intention to assault the Vice President of america. Now it did not finish that day. As you already know, he known as out to those individuals to proceed their violence, my husband being a sufferer of all of that, and it still- he nonetheless has accidents from that assault. So it simply goes on and on. It is not one thing that occurs after which it is over. No, as soon as you might be attacked, you’ve got penalties that proceed. So I do not- it is actually an odd one who’s going to be President of america, who thinks that it is okay to pardon people who find themselves engaged in an assault. However let’s- you already know, let’s do that. Let’s simply say okay to the American individuals. That is what that is about. Don’t be conned by the denial of the election of 2020 and- why would he be saying that? However he- however he’s. After which on prime of that, the denial of what occurred on January 6.

MARGARET BRENNAN: However a few of the 1600 defendants right here have been actually solely charged with trespassing. And if you have a look at the profiles, College of Chicago did a examine, half of those that broke into the Capitol have been white collar staff. They have been small enterprise homeowners. Did not essentially have a felony document. While you have a look at that profile, you mentioned intention. It- it was the intention itself, you assume, that must be thought-about extra so than the crime. You realize that- that it casts the crime itself of trespassing in a special gentle for you.

SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: Effectively the President mentioned he would go on a case-by-case foundation. So I assume that- that a few of these individuals could not have engaged within the violent actions that a few of the others did. Have a look at this lovely Capitol, the dome constructed by Lincoln. Underneath Lincoln’s management in the course of the Civil Struggle, they mentioned, do not construct the dome. It takes an excessive amount of metal and particular person energy, manpower, they mentioned, from the warfare effort. And he mentioned, no, I’ve to point out the resilience of America. After which beneath that dome you noticed, you noticed flags, the flags that, you already know, simply horrible flags beneath the dome of Lincoln. And so it was a tragedy, and we can’t be in denial about what it was. If the President goes to go on a case by case foundation, I hope he does, after which possibly–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –Trespassers, you’ll be snug with pardoning?

SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: Effectively, simply is determined by how they outline what that’s. However the- however I do know that a few of that encouragement after which the comply with up that- that so many individuals have been threatened, together with me and- and to my house, searching for me and discovering my husband, and as I say, who nonetheless suffers from head accidents from- on that day. So these items do not simply occur and go away when you’ve got a head damage. However anyway to- to- to see the menace to so many individuals in elective workplace, now going past me, however so many individuals in elective workplace, it should not be a menace to your loved ones that you’ve chosen to do public service.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You wrote in your e-book about that 2022 assault in your husband, and also you mentioned your daughter advised you [if] she had recognized what you have been signing up for, she would by no means have given you her blessing to run for workplace within the first place. Do you assume that this menace of home violent extremism is having a chilling impact on new expertise and- and anybody operating for workplace?

SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: Effectively, I actually hope not. However over time, after I was encouraging individuals to run for workplace, particularly girls, they might say, we might by no means take the abuse that you just take, and that was actually simply abuse. It wasn’t bodily, it was criticism and the remainder of that, and that we do not need our youngsters subjected to that. And sure, I do assume it can have a destructive influence on individuals operating for public workplace. Simply- you already know, in different phrases, in the event you’re- in the event you’re a mother, they usually go after you as a- as a mother, and your youngster comes house crying from college as a result of any person mentioned a destructive factor, as a result of they noticed it on TV, that the opposite aspect mentioned one thing dangerous about you, you may not run for workplace.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So that you assume it can discourage significantly girls—

NANCY PELOSI: Notably girls.

MARGARET BRENNAN: —from operating? 

SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: Yeah, I do. I imply, I do know that it has. However I hope that it’s going to not, that we’ll have shine a brilliant gentle on this and simply say, that is unacceptable. That is unacceptable. See, for girls, they always- they always- girls are recognized to be extra, let’s say, moral, than males. And so after they go after girls candidates, they go after their ethics. They usually’ll say this, that and the opposite factor. After which the kid comes house from college crying as a result of any person mentioned a nasty factor about mother on TV. And no-one- no one desires that. So hopefully the intense gentle shining on that can reduce- cut back that. However I believe that girls have confirmed that they are- are extra moral, and that they- they’re, nicely, possibly they are not extra moral, they’re all moral, however that they can- then stand up to that criticism.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, you- in the course of the first Trump presidency, as speaker, you took very public stance to problem Donald Trump when he was president. Democrats now are within the minority on this new congress. Tom Suozzi from New York not too long ago mentioned, it might be a mistake for Democrats to reflexively oppose Trump’s concepts and model themselves a “nationwide resistance motion.” This can be a Democrat who received in a Trump district, and he is warning fellow Democrats. Do you agree resistance is a nasty technique this time?

SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: Effectively I- let me simply say, traditionally, after I grew to become speaker, it was after I ran with a Republican president, George Bush, and we opposed his insurance policies. He needed to denationalise Social Safety. And so we went in opposition to that, and we received. After which after I received once more as speaker, George- Donald Trump was president, and we ran in opposition to him by saying, we’ll save the Inexpensive Care Act. That is- that is it. We have been saving Social Safety at first. Now we’re saving the Inexpensive Care Act. So we received the bulk, sure, by disagreeing on sure factors. That does not imply you disagree on each difficulty, no. But it surely does imply that you just defend the values that carry you to Congress, the imaginative and prescient that you’ve about well being care, the values that you’ve about well being care, once more, as a result of well being care is a matter that’s so essential as a result of well being care value are so excessive that- that it impacts whether or not you possibly can have housing, whether or not you possibly can have meals on the desk, and the remaining. And so— 

MARGARET BRENNAN: So you’ll encourage Democrats to work with Donald Trump on a problem like well being care?

SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: I do not know that he desires to be on well being care. 

MARGARET BRENNAN: Are there alternatives to work with him on something? 

SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: No- on different points. No. On well being care, no. However no, simply be- nicely, we both- with George Bush on many points, and- a number of points, let me say, and no, I do not- I do not say that we should always work with him on well being care. I am saying we’re on the market to guard the Inexpensive Care Act. He mentioned, Obamacare sucks. Now that is not one thing we wish to work with, that Obamacare sucks. So we wish to be on the market to save lots of the Inexpensive Care Act, and acknowledge that lowering the price of well being care can allow individuals to have housing, have meals on the desk and the remaining. And that is- there are research that present the connection between means to have housing and meals when you’ve got good, reasonably priced care, well being care.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Speaker Emerita, thanks to your time at present.

SPEAKER EMERITA PELOSI: Thanks. My pleasure to be with you. Thanks.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And we’ll be proper again with much more “Face the Nation.” Stick with us.