Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she is confident Democrats will win back control of the House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections and that Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will take up the speaker’s gavel.
In an interview with ABC News’ Jonathan Karl that aired Sunday on This Week, Pelosi praised Jeffries as fully prepared to lead the chamber.
“Hakeem Jeffries is ready. He’s eloquent, respected by his colleagues, and he brings people together,” Pelosi said. When asked if she had any doubt Jeffries would become speaker, she replied simply, “None.”
Pelosi, who stepped away from House Democratic leadership in November 2022, confirmed earlier this year that she will not seek reelection in 2026. With roughly a year left in her final term, the California Democrat reflected on her decades-long career, her clashes with President Donald Trump, and what she sees as the path forward for her party.
She argued that a Democratic majority would move quickly to reassert congressional authority, which she says has been weakened under the current Republican-led House.
“Right now, Republicans have essentially sidelined Congress and follow whatever the president demands,” Pelosi said. “That ends the moment Democrats have the gavel again.”
Asked whether Democrats should pursue another impeachment of Trump if they regain control, Pelosi said such a decision would depend entirely on the president’s actions.
“The person responsible for Donald Trump’s impeachments is Donald Trump,” she said. “Impeachment isn’t a political choice. It’s about whether the president violates the Constitution. What matters immediately is restoring subpoena power to get answers that aren’t being provided right now.”
Pelosi also looked back on the unlikely beginnings of her leadership career. When she first ran for Congress in 1987, her campaign slogan was “Nancy Pelosi: A voice that will be heard.”
“It’s ironic,” she said. “I never imagined I’d become speaker, even though my voice was eventually heard far beyond what I expected.”
At the time, Pelosi was one of just 23 women serving in the House. She later broke multiple barriers, becoming the first woman elected as party whip, minority leader, and in 2007, speaker of the House—placing her third in line to the presidency.
Despite those milestones, Pelosi said she never initially sought leadership roles. She recalled being deeply invested in committee work, particularly on appropriations and intelligence, until repeated Democratic losses in the 1990s pushed her to step forward.
“I knew how to win elections,” she said. “And after years of losing, I was tired of it.”
As speaker, Pelosi played a central role in passing major legislation during the Obama administration, most notably the Affordable Care Act. She said the health law is what she hopes will define her legacy.
“The Affordable Care Act changed lives,” Pelosi said. “It addressed not just health care, but the financial security of working families. If I’m remembered for one thing, I hope it’s that.”
Her confrontations with Trump, however, are also likely to shape how history views her tenure. That includes the moment she tore up Trump’s final State of the Union address during his first term—a move she said was not premeditated.
“I started tearing because it was full of lies,” Pelosi said. “One page, then another, until I realized the whole speech was a manifesto of falsehoods.”
Pelosi described the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol as the darkest day of her speakership. Her daughter, filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi, was with her that day, capturing footage later used in the 2022 HBO documentary Pelosi in the House.
“It was clear to me that the president had incited an insurrection,” Pelosi said. “We pleaded for the National Guard to be deployed. Even Mitch McConnell was urging action. It never came.”
She added that the ongoing attempts to downplay or rewrite what happened that day deepen the pain.
“The attack was an assault on the Capitol, on Congress, and on the Constitution itself,” Pelosi said. “It was horrifying.”
In the documentary, Pelosi says Trump must ultimately “pay a price” for January 6. Asked whether that has happened, she replied that accountability may come through history rather than the courts.
“He’s president again,” Pelosi said. “But history will judge.”
Following Trump’s 2024 election victory, two federal cases against him, including those related to January 6, were dismissed due to longstanding Justice Department policy on presidential immunity. Trump has denied all federal charges.
As her time in Congress winds down, Pelosi said her focus remains firmly on helping Democrats reclaim the House.
“My priority is winning the gavel back and making Hakeem Jeffries speaker,” she said. “Beyond that, it’s about restoring faith in governance and reminding people that this country is built on the fundamental goodness of its citizens.”
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