In a recent appearance at the Texas Tribune Festival, Nancy Pelosi, who once held the position of House Speaker and now serves as a representative from California, suggested that there’s a segment of the Republican electorate, roughly 30%, who are unlikely to ever support a Democratic candidate due to biases related to race, gender, or sexual orientation.
“There are people who will never be, shall we say, inclined to support Democrats because of — they just have a different orientation toward women, people of color, LGBTQ, you know, they just are not ever going to be there,” Pelosi articulated during the event, as reported by the New York Post. She estimated that this group constitutes about “30% or something like that … of the Republicans.”
This commentary bears a resemblance to a controversial moment from the 2016 presidential campaign when Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee at the time, described a portion of Donald Trump’s supporters as “a basket of deplorables.” Clinton’s exact words were; “You can put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call a basket of deplorables,” further describing them as “racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic, you name it.” She criticized Trump for bringing such attitudes to the forefront of political discourse.
Furthermore, Pelosi pointed to the affluent segment of the Republican base, interpreting their support for the GOP as a means to avoid higher taxes or more stringent environmental regulations that could affect their businesses. “Then you have very, very rich people who do not really want to pay taxes or have any regulation of clean air, clean water, any of that,” Pelosi remarked. She intimated that while the extremely wealthy might not be large in numbers, their financial contributions significantly influence political campaigns.
Amidst these strong opinions, Pelosi noted the financial milestone achieved by Vice President Kamala Harris during the first month of her being the Democratic nominee for the presidency. Harris managed to outdo Trump in fundraising, amassing about $361 million in August alone, dwarfing Trump’s $130 million during the same period.
Additionally, Pelosi’s personal wealth has seen substantial growth over her tenure at the helm of the House Democratic Conference, with reports from Newsweek indicating an increase by tens of millions of dollars.
Despite her critical view of certain Republican voters, Pelosi advocated for empathy and understanding from Democrats. She highlighted economic concerns, such as globalization and the tech revolution, which have led to job losses and insecurity among some Americans. “We have to be as respectful and understanding as possible,” she urged, acknowledging the complex reasons behind political allegiances.
Pelosi also took a jab at Trump, labeling him a proficient “snake-oil salesman,” suggesting his ability to persuade and influence his base effectively.
