Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi showed her contempt for the Constitution as it applies to former President Donald J. Trump’s eligibility for ballot access.
The octogenarian Democrat appeared on Sunday’s edition of ABC’s “This Week” where she was asked by host George Stephanopoulos about the moves by two states to meddle in the election process by banning the GOP frontrunner from the ballot based on the pretense that he led an insurrection.
“Do you believe that Donald Trump engaged in insurrection?” Stephanopoulos asked, a question that there was no doubt about what Pelosi’s answer would be.
Nancy Pelosi is hurling our country towards a constitutional crisis: ABC: “You believe [Trump] is ineligible to be president?” Pelosi: “They have different laws from state-to-state.” ABC: “It’s the Constitution…” Pelosi: “…That’s not the point.” pic.twitter.com/PbXJFwUAy2 — Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) January 7, 2024
“Yes,” Pelosi answered. “I think that he engaged in insurrection. I think that he incited an insurrection. And again, that he would not stop what was going on. As his own people said, ‘This is your legacy. Smoke coming from the Capitol is your legacy.’ Yes, I do believe that.”
Stephanopoulos followed up, “Madam Speaker, if you believe he engaged in insurrection under the plain meaning of the 14th amendment, you believe he’s ineligible to be president?”
“Those are up to the states. They have different laws from state to state,” Pelosi replied, blowing off the matter of the Constitution, a document that she has already established she has little use for.
“It’s the Constitution,” Stephanopoulos shot back, seemingly stunned by her answer.
“There is a view of the Constitution in article 14, section 3, that he should not be able to run for president,” Pelosi responded. “But that’s not the point. The point now is, again, different states have different laws. We don’t think in California that it applied in our state. That’s what the decision was made here,” she said, referring to her state declining to also ban Trump.
Pelosi’s seeming assertion that states can overrule the Constitution drew a strong reaction from users on the X platform, previously known as Twitter.
The only time the Constitution is ever the point with these people is when the Constitution favors their agenda. And that’s rarely the case. — Richard Kicklighter (@RichardKicklig1) January 7, 2024
She knows the Constitution will not support this so she is leaning into states acting individually, for various reasons, that will take lots of time to resolve. — Gambare (@d3navy) January 7, 2024
It is the point, all the states have to follow the Constitution. — Stacey (@jezsta1) January 7, 2024
Nancy Pelosi told Stephanapolis today that states can overrule the Constitution and take Trump off of the ballot. Tell me again which party is trying to destroy democracy? — Insurrection Barbie (@DefiyantlyFree) January 7, 2024
They don’t believe in the constitution. Its dangerous to elect these people. — Ragnarok (@rizzmatism) January 7, 2024
When she says ..that’s not the point..to George saying it’s the Constitution.. It means she doesn’t follow her Constitution. @WhiteHouse @AP. — TheConservativeHusky (@jdibert87) January 7, 2024
Trump has been booted from the ballot in Colorado by four left-wing judges and in Maine by rabidly partisan Secretary of State Shenna Bellows with the U.S. Supreme Court set to decide the dubious use of the 14th Amendment but that clearly doesn’t matter to Pelosi who seems to be hellbent on igniting a constitutional crisis.