With the news Thursday that Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be stepping down from Democratic House leadership, ABC’s World News Tonight and CBS Evening News spent time gushing over Pelosi’s “historic” tenure as speaker of the House and highlighted her publicized fights with former President Trump and her infamous temper tantrum after his 2020 State of the Union address where she tore up a copy of his address in anger.
On ABC, Capitol Hill correspondent Rachel Scott dramatically announced Pelosi’s “historic passing of the torch.” Scott could barely contain herself when she drooled that “Pelosi is a singular figure in American history.”
Scott even praised Pelosi’s petulant fights with former President Trump: “Pelosi worked with four Presidents, often going toe to toe with Donald Trump.”
“President Biden today calling her the most consequential Speaker of the House in our history,” Scott proclaimed, reading from Biden’s statement: “Because of Nancy Pelosi, the lives of millions and millions of Americans are better, even in districts represented by Republicans who voted against her bills and too often vilified her. Pelosi's colleagues cheering as she listed her accomplishments.”
Over on CBS Evening News, congressional correspondent Scott MacFarlane took a break from hyperventilating over the January 6 riots to fangirl over Pelosi. Reporting on Pelosi’s decision to step down, he claimed, "It's an historic announcement but also one with a profound, immediate impact.”
“With Republicans set to take control of the U.S. House in January, Nancy Pelosi, the outsized political force for a generation, said it was time for her to step back,” MacFarlane said.
He then turned to whining about the incoming Republican House majority and that House Democrats will “have to contend with a Republican majority which plans to aggressively investigate the Biden administration including what they see is a politicized Justice Department as well as the President's family.”
Much like ABC’s Scott, MacFarlane got weak knees over Pelosi’s juvenile fights with former President Donald Trump: “She also famously clashed with Donald Trump. Once mocking his State of the Union address and tearing up his speech to the delight of fellow Democrats.”
Also, note how he referred to him as Donald Trump and not “former President Trump” or “then-President Trump.”
MacFarlane ended his embarrassing report by crying about the absence of a particular GOP leader: “Republican leader Kevin McCarthy who's seeking to be the next speaker of the house and who’s frequently clashed with Pelosi was not in the chamber as Pelosi gave her remarks today.”
ABC & CBS’s over-the-top gushing over the polarizing Nancy Pelosi retiring from House leadership was made possible by Chewy on ABC, and Progressive on CBS. Their information is linked.
To read the transcripts of each segment click “expand”:
ABC’s World News Tonight
11/17/2022
6:37:20 p.m. EasternRACHEL SCOTT: Today on Capitol Hill, Congress coming to a standstill to witness a historic passing of the torch.
NANCY PELOSI: The House will be in order.
SCOTT: Speaker Nancy Pelosi announcing that come January, she will no longer lead House Democrats. Something she's done for 20 years.
PELOSI: For me, the hour's come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect.
SCOTT: Pelosi is a singular figure in American history.
PELOSI: When I came to the Congress in 1987, there were 12 Democratic women. Now, there are over 90. And we want more.
SCOTT: The first and only female Speaker of the House. Her father, a Congressman himself. Politics in her blood.
PELOSI: So help me God.
SCOTT: But first came motherhood, raising five children before she switched careers.
PELOSI: Never would I have thought that someday I would go from homemaker to House Speaker.
SCOTT: As Speaker, Pelosi worked with four Presidents, often going toe to toe with Donald Trump.
PELOSI: The power of the Speaker is awesome. Awesome.
SCOTT: President Biden today calling her the most consequential Speaker of the House in our history. Because of Nancy Pelosi, the lives of millions and millions of Americans are better, even in districts represented by Republicans who voted against her bills and too often vilified her. Pelosi's colleagues cheering as she listed her accomplishments.
PELOSI: Transformative health care reform with President Barack Obama.
SCOTT: Even Newt Gingrich in the past year saying you could argue she's been the strongest Speaker in history.
CBS Evening News
11/17/2022
6:32:46 p.m. EasternSCOTT MACFARLANE: Speaker Pelosi says she'll continue representing San Francisco in Congress next year, but for the first time in two decades, she will not be a party leader. It's an historic announcement but also one with a profound, immediate impact here. With Republicans set to take control of the U.S. House in January, Nancy Pelosi, the outsized political force for a generation, said it was time for her to step back.
NANCY PELOSI: For me, the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect.
MACFARLANE: The announcement comes just weeks after a violent attack against her 82-year-old husband Paul Pelosi in San Francisco, allegedly by a conspiracy theorist who was targeting her.
PELOSI: For my dear husband Paul who has been my beloved partner in life and my pillar of support, thank you, we're all grateful for all the prayers and well wishes as he continues his recovery.
MACFARLANE: The current Democratic leadership, all in their '80s, are now making room for a new generation of leaders, potentially including Hakeem Jeffries of New York City who could become the first African-American party leader in congressional history.
REP. STENY HOYER: It's always good for the party to have new blood and new invigoration.
MACFARLANE: They’ll have to contend with a Republican majority which plans to aggressively investigate the Biden administration including what they see is a politicized Justice Department as well as the President's family.
REP. JAMES COMER: Was Joe Biden directly involved with Hunter Biden's business deals and is he compromised? That's our investigation.
MACFARLANE: Pelosi who's led House Democrats since 2003 was swarmed by colleagues, some in tears. The first-ever female Speaker elected twice is a prolific fundraiser and vote counter having steered passage of then-President Obama's Affordable Care Act and key parts of the Biden agenda.
She also famously clashed with Donald Trump. Once mocking his State of the Union address and tearing up his speech to the delight of fellow Democrats. Congresswoman Jackie Spier said the party’s leadership was losing incredible talent.
REP. JACKIE SPIER: She will go down in history as the greatest Speaker that this House has ever had.
MACFARLANE: Republican leader Kevin McCarthy who's seeking to be the next speaker of the house and who’s frequently clashed with Pelosi was not in the chamber as Pelosi gave her remarks today.
