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Pelosi also said that the sentence her husband’s attacker received was a “very, very good decision,” but that the family continues to suffer from the horrible incident.
As the 2024 election looms, U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi remains steadfast in her belief that Vice President Kamala Harris will claim victory, as long as Democrats rally at the polls.
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“The votes are there for us; we just have to turn them out,” she predicted during a wide-ranging interview with The Advocate.
Amid her cautious optimism, Pelosi is deeply concerned about the Republican Party’s rising influence, which she views as a troubling shift toward extremist rhetoric and actions, from health care repeal to Christian nationalism, anti-LGBTQ+ policies, hate speech, and a broad assault on democratic principles.
While discussing the upcoming election, Pelosi saw the news about House Speaker Mike Johnson pledging to “dismantle the Affordable Care Act within the first 100 days” if Republicans win. Pelosi, who helped lead the ACA into law over a decade ago, reacted immediately and was incensed by Johnson’s statement. “This is an unconscionable attack on millions of Americans who depend on the ACA for basic health coverage,” she said.
For Pelosi, the ACA represents a milestone in the fight for health care equity, and she warns that repealing it would harm countless individuals, particularly those with preexisting conditions who might otherwise face denials or skyrocketing premiums.
“ACA has been popular, so I can’t see how saying something like this before the election helps Republicans,” she pointed out.
“It’s reckless and shortsighted,” Pelosi stated firmly. “The ACA has saved lives and expanded access to care for marginalized communities, including the LGBTQ+ population, which has historically faced disparities in healthcare.”
Pelosi also raised concerns about how a repeal would impact women’s health services, mental health support, and addiction treatment — all vital services expanded under the ACA. “Taking that away would be disastrous, particularly at a time when so many are still recovering from the lasting effects of the pandemic,” she said.
The former House speaker said she sees the LGBTQ+ community as an increasing target of rising hate, recently hearing firsthand a story that proved her point.
“I was at an event on Tuesday and talked to a San Francisco couple who were confronted with slurs at a New York airport by Trump supporters who were flying in for the Madison Square Garden rally,” Pelosi said. “Imagine, two men, minding their own business, harassed because of their identity. This is the America Trump has fostered, where hate speech isn’t just normalized — it’s rewarded.”
And LGBTQ+ hate hit close to home in the form of conspiracy theories surrounding her own family. This week, David DePape was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for breaking into Pelosi and her husband’s San Francisco house. DePape told authorities he was after the former speaker. Pelso wasn’t home at the time, so he attacked her husband, Paul, who suffered severe injuries. Afterward, right-wingers falsely accused Pelosi’s husband of secretly having an affair with DePape.
“It was a year ago Monday that my husband was attacked,” Pelosi recalled. “Yesterday, his attacker was sentenced, and it was a very, very good decision. But remember what they did after the attack? They went on to TV and said my husband and his attacker were gay lovers and all this stuff. Of course, it's ridiculous, but making it sound like that being gay lovers was something that was bad. It's so hateful and such a terrible thing at what was and continues to be a very difficult time for our family.”
Pelosi added that she believes such incidents reveal the real-world implications of Donald Trump’s rhetoric, which she says empowers individuals to act on prejudice openly.
Pelosi, a practicing Catholic, is also alarmed by the rise of Christian nationalism and what she sees as a distortion of religious values. She warns that the movement often weaponizes religion against marginalized groups.
“There is nothing truly Christian about this nationalism. It’s frightening and un-Christian to use religion to justify exclusion and hate,” she said. “These ideologies endanger democratic values, and this rhetoric obscures its divisive aims, urging voters to see through what is a facade.”
Referring to former President Donald Trump, Pelosi said, “This candidate for president has normalized hate speech, and he’s responsible for a nationwide shift toward discriminatory language. It’s also local, it’s humorized. Hate has become normalized, and people act on it without shame or accountability,”
On a positive note, Pelosi praised Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as a terrific surrogate for Harris. “He’s knowledgeable, visionary, values-based, and he embodies the party’s aspirations for a united America,” she noted. “It’s heartening to see him speak to the issues in a way that is both persuasive and hopeful.”
Pelosi also finds common ground with former Republican U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, who recently warned that Johnson may not act impartially if Trump loses the election. Pelosi echoes Cheney’s sentiment, emphasizing that Johnson’s allegiance to Trump raises concerns over his commitment to democracy.
Cheney and Pelosi both worry that Johnson, an outspoken supporter of Trump’s “Big Lie” that he lost the 2020 election, would attempt to undermine the election process to benefit Trump.
“We have to take him seriously,” Pelosi urged. “Johnson’s actions may go beyond rhetoric to jeopardize the integrity of the electoral process. This election could define the future of our nation.”
She sees Johnson’s position as a potential “Trojan horse” for anti-democratic measures, which she fears could erode Americans’ trust in democratic institutions.
“When someone shows you, time and again, that they’ll prioritize party over democratic principles, that’s not someone who will honor their oath,” said Pelosi, who is confident Democrats can retake the House. “That’s why it’s imperative that Hakeem Jeffries is handed the gavel as speaker of the House on January 3, 2025.”
For Pelosi, the future of American democracy is on the line more than ever. She underscored the importance of voting, saying, “The votes are there; we just have to get them out. Our job is to mobilize, to get out the vote, and to do so in a way that is principled and effective.”
