Transcripts For MSNBCW Headliners 20190617

Indecency. For years shes been a villain to the right. I think the message says it all. Fire nancy pelosi. Crazy nancy, shes lost it. Today shes emerged as the president s most formidable rival. We came in here in good faith. It is a relationship like two boxers in a ring. She instinctively knows how to handle this guy. How did nancy pelosi hone the political skills that allowed her to become such an enduring figure . On this headliners, my oneonone with the speaker of the house. Is he fit to be president . Here in the u. S. Capital where nancy pelosi has gone where no woman has ever gone before, becoming speaker of the house twice. A force of nature in washington d. C. , she has never been one to back down, whether the threat is President Trump or rebellious members of her own party. We had certain values and principals that we cannot abandon. So you see this as a moment of opportunity . I do, indeed. Diversity is a strength but our unity is owe power. I met with nancy pelosi on may 24th just before a major showdown at the white house stalled a possible deal to improve the countrys infrastructure. I pray for the president of the United States and i pray for the United States of america. We spoke about democracy. Right there, see right there . Thats where the First Amendment is alive and well. And family. And most importantly, her relationship with the current president , donald j. Trump. Is he fit to be president . Well, the American People elected him president. Not by the popular vote, but by electoral college. So i respect the office that he holds. Okay. And i think i respect the office that the president holds more than he respects the office that he holds. And i do believe that we must hold him accountable. And its that call for accountability that has apparently changed the dealings between the speaker and the president. From cordial. I give her a great deal of credit for what shes done and accomplished. To come pattive. A temper tantrum by the president. I know a temper tantrum when i see one. I first met Speaker Pelosi through my parents. My father, National Security adviser to president jimmy carter, counseled the speaker on ways the u. S. Could withdraw from iraq. There were other encounters, too. Some with far less gravity. I have been looking at any sort of links between my family and yours, and in 2014, i found a picture of an evunveiling of sculpture. Do you have any idea why zz top was there . I have to think back on that one. Me too. I couldnt figure it out. As for pelosis parents, they never imagined their only daughter holding elected office. They wanted me to be holy. Thats what would have made them proud. Her story started in baltimore, where her father was the mayor and a congressman. As a little girl, she slept on a bed with copies of the congressional record stuffed underneath. That was the life we knew. And it was a life that recognized that Public Service was a noble calling and we all had a responsibility to each other. In baltimore political circles, pelosis father was known as big tommy to distinguish him from his son who later became mayor. Her mother, also named nancy, helped run the political machine. My mother had seven children. She was brilliant. He was a poet. She was an inventor. She did so many things. We grew up in the place where we were devoutly catholic, deeply patriotic, very, very proud of our Italian American heritage and democratic. People came to your front door often asking for help. What are your memories . I just remember that our door was always open. I kind of knew what to say to people. The phone rang or somebody knocked on the door, and they wanted a job or whatever it was, where to send them to go. Big tommys political pull extended to the very top. He introduced 20yearold nancy to senator john f. Kennedy. She volunteered for kennedy when he ran for president , venn vi t visited the white house. But for nancy, any future in politics was put on pause after she married paul pelosi, a student she met at a class she took at Georgetown University when he landed a finance job in new york, the couple moved there and started a family. How many kids and how many years . Did you have a kid a year . Well, when our youngest was born, our fifth child, our oldest child was turning six that week. That sounds a little unmanageable. Well, it was gods blessing. There is nothing i will ever do in my life or have done in my life that was as important, special, enjoyable, savered by us than being parents. Young nancy had thought about going to law school. But when paul received a job offer in his hometown of San Francisco, there was no doubt about their next move. Adjusting to the west coast, was that an issue at all . It was far from my parents who were in baltimore, but that was home for paul. It was also where paul pelosis family had ties to the local political establishment. You combine the connections that paul pelosi had and her sort of political dna. They lived on a very fancy part of San Francisco. It was very natural for her to host fundraisers. Over the years, pelosi would become one of the Democratic Partys most effective fundraisers, consolidating power by bringing in money for candidates all over the United States. If the chand leer was in this room just like this and nancy asked the chand leer for money, money would pour out. But raising money was just the beginning. Coming up that was really what took me from kitchen to congress. Om kits i had a heart problem. I was told to begin my aspirin regimen, and i just didnt listen. Until i almost lost my life. My doctors again ordered me to take aspirin, and i do. Be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. Listen to the doctor. Take it seriously. This is a commercial and i know youre thinking. I dont want to hear about insurance. cause lets be honest. Nobody likes dealing with insurance. Right . See, esurance knows its expensive. I feel like im giving my money away. So theyre making it affordable. Thank you, dennis quaid. Youre welcome, guy in kitchen. I named my character walter. Thats great. Id tell you more but i only have thirty seconds so heres a dramatic shot of their tagline so youll remember it. When insurance is affordable, its surprisingly painless. Hey allergy muddlers. Achoo . Do your sneezes turn heads . Try zyrtec. Zyrtec starts working hard at hour one. And works twice as hard when you take it again the next day. Zyrtec muddle no more. And try childrens zyrtec for consistently powerful relief of your kids allergies. But we all know were paying too much for it. Enter xfinity mobile. Americas best lte, with the most wifi hotspots combined for the first time. When youre near an xfinity hotspot youre connected to wifi, saving on data. When youre not, you pay for data one gig at a time. Use a little, pay a little. Use a lot, just switch to unlimited. Its a new kind of network. Call, visit or go to xfinitymobile. Com. After moving to San Francisco in 1969, nancy pelosi began to gravitate toward politics and political fundraising. Jerry browns upstart president ial campaign in 1976 caught her attention. Pelosi was taken by the young governor and convinced him to campaign in her home state of maryland. I want to discuss some issues. 1976, tell me if im correct, Governor Brown remembering sleeps in our familys home while campaigning for president. What do you remember about that campaign . Mccarthy was the speaker of the house there and he was the chair man of jerrys campaign. I said to them, i have friends in the grass roots organizations and the rest, and, so, why dont we have the governor come. And he agreed to do that. And he was sensational. With his rock star girlfriend along for a fundraising concert, brown swept through maryland. I didnt think about maryland and baltimore. She got her brother and others that basically ran the campaign. Thank you brown pulled off an upset victory in the primary and gave nancy and the family credit. The whole campaign basically came out of, i might say, the delasandro organization. Thats so cool. Then jerry brown said you have to take a role in the Democratic Party because i want one of my people there. Got it. And i did. And here i am. It brought her out of the kitchen and into the big world of politics. In 1981, pelosi was selected to run the state Democratic Party. You dont get to do Party Chairman if you cant raise money. And thats certainly one of the ways she propelled herself. You are known as one of the most prolific fundraisers. I want to know how you do it. When i was chairman, i was really an organizer. I wasnt a fundraiser. I was an organizer who had to keep the doors open. But then i got to know a large number of people, so its about having contacts among the progressives around the country. Pelosi was a rising star in the Democratic Party, but always behind the scenes. Never on the ticket herself. That was about to change. In 1987, california congresswoman, a close friend of pelosis, was diagnosed with cancer. Shortly thereafter, she called me and she said, i want you to run. I said ive never even thought about running for office. Im basically a shy person. I like promoting other people. I understand politics about how to win, but its never been about me. She said i just want you to tell me that you will run because you love the issues. You should work on them. Please tell me you will run. It will make me feel better. I said, well, ill run. I dont know if im going to win because ive never run for office or never thought about running for office. I just want to know that you will run. Just a couple weeks later, she passed away. That summer, pelosi ran in the neshl election for californias fifth congressional district. She was 46 years old. The race was a free for all with 14 candidates. She wasnt terribly well known, but she was very catching in democratic circles which gave her access to a great deal of money. But all of that money didnt translate into popularity with members of the partys progressive wing, who attacked pelosi as a rich political insider. How can she relate to people like me, single parent, working mother . It foreshadowed the political lightening rod she would become years down the road. It was a contentious primary and it was a hard race for nancy. Shes never had a payroll or had to worry about it. I dont think you have to be sick to be a doctor or poor to understand the problems of the poor. While she was attacked for her family wealth, it was her ability to raise money that helped launch her political career. Pelosi collected and spent a million dollars, more than all the other candidates combined. As one of our legendary speakers in california once said, money is the mothers milk of politics. You got to buy television. You have to buy mailers. You have to get staff. When the dust cleared, pelosi was the last candidate standing. She ended up getting votes from moderates, even some conservatives. The irony here is, were it not for republicans and moderates, nancy pelosi never would have been in congress in the first place. Your father, he was there when you were sworn in. Yes. I cant imagine how, i dont know, beautiful that moment must have been. It was lovely because during the campaign he kept saying, dont worry about having a ticket for me for your swearing in because as a former member, i can go right on to the floor. I said, dad, i have to win first. Im in a fight. I have to win first. But it was lovely that he was there. And two and a half months later, he passed away. I didnt realize he was that close to the end, but it was wonderful that he was there. He was there. He was there for you. And my mother, too. Pelosis first order of the business was confronting the aids crisis. When i came to congress, the first day my colleagues to be said, when you are sworn in, just say yes, do you solemnly swear. Dont say anything else. Nobody wants to hear from a new member of congress. I said, okay, i will just do what im supposed to do if thats what im supposed to do. So i get sworn in and the speaker says, do you want to say a few words . So of course. Im not going to turn that down, right . Right, of course. So i thanked my parents and my constituents for the honor. And then i say, during my campaign i told my constituents that when i came here i would tell them that i came to fight for hiv and aids funding. Some of pelosis new house colleagues were taken aback by her candor on the issue. And they said, why would you ever tell anybody that you came here for hiv and aids . Thats the first thing they would know about you . So i said that because thats why i came here, because of hiv and aids. But it was a lesson to me about the discrimination this cause would have to face. A tough lesson in politics and one of many pelosi would learn as she found her way in washington. Coming up i remember asking her, what do you see . What is your dream . What is your goal . And i remember her saying, i want to be speaker of the house. Applebees new loaded chicken fajitas. Now only 10. 99. What do all these people have in common, limu . Oug [ paper rustling ] exactly, nothing. Theyre completely different people, thats why they need customized Car Insurance from liberty mutual. Theyll only pay for what they need [ gargling ] [ coins hitting the desk ] yes, and they could save a ton. Youve done it again, limu. Only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. We all use our phones differently. I listen to music throughout the entire day, pretty much. My ear buds are always in. Youre mostly watching things on your phone. Yeah. I dont always have time to track what my kids are doing in their phone. Verizon lets me manage and control things, so they feel like they have their freedom and i feel like i have my piece of mind. vo the network more people rely on, gives you more. Like plans families can mix and match, including the new just kids plan. Plus, a free Samsung Galaxy when you switch. Thats verizon. With venus, youre in charge of your skin. So, write your own rules. Because no one gets an opinion on why you shave or how you show your skin. Nancy pelosi arrived in congress in 1987 with a solidly liberal reputation and one obvious challenge, making her way through a house of representatives that was 95 male. There were only 23 women members of congress out of 435. There were only 23. So when i came, every place i would go, they would stop me and say, you cant go there. You cant go there. Members only. I would say, i am a member of congress. You are a member of congress, you can go any place you want. So shortly there alafter, i was looking for a vote, something for hiv aids, no doubt because that was my focus and i started following one of my targets into the speakers lobby and beyond. I started to go into this room. And the officers are saying, counsel woman, you cant go there. I said im a congresswoman. I can go anywhere i want. He said, congresswoman, its the mens room. One place you cant go or you dont want to go. I dont want to go. What a thought. Chuck schumer, now a close ally and friend first came to know her shortly after she arrived in washington. When i was in the house, we had a diverse dinner group of congressmen that would get together every tuesday night. And george miller, one of the leaders of the group, says to us, i am bringing a new member of our group. She is the new congresswoman from San Francisco, just elected, and she is going to be the first woman speaker. So before i ever met nancy pelosi, i was told nancy would be the first woman speaker. When i met her, i knew why he said it. Former senator and fellow californian, Barbara Boxer also became Close Friends with pelosi when they served together in the house. I remember asking her, what do you see . What is your dream . What is your goal . And i remember her saying, i want to be speaker of the house. Now, nancy does not remember this at all. I remember it as if it was yesterday. With the speakership still years away, pelosi faced the first big test of her ability to master the political game in washington. In the summer of 2001, the democratic whip position opened up. In the history of congress, no woman had risen to that level. Pelosi wanted the job, and she lobbied hard to get it. She made 150 phone calls to members of congress, each one patiently saying, you know, hi, its nancy. Im interested in becoming the whip. Let me tell you why. Nancy pelosi is somebody who knows our caucus. She knows the names of the grandkids of people in our caucus. She knows what college you went to. She knows what your preference is, whether its red wine or white wine or no wine. The stage was set for a spirited showdown between pelosi and her longtime friend. There was this crazy history which they had been interns together at amari land Senate Office 40 years earlier. They had gone their separate ways and now here they are running against each other. Behind closed doors it was a tough fight. But in the end nancy pelosi prevailed. Here is a whip as a similar po of your job. I never asked anyone to vote for me because i was a woman but i would hope no one would vote against me because i was a woman. It came at a critical time. With the country still reeling from september 11th, president bush ordered an invasion of afghanistan. One year later he sought congressional approval to invade iraq. If it proves necessary to enforce Un Security Council demands. Under pressure from the president , nearly all republicans backed the measure. And in a show of bipartisan support, so did a majority of democrats in the senate. Even the most powerful democrat in the house, minority leader, was behind it. If youre worried about terrorists getting weapons of mass destruction or their components from countries, the first candidate you worry about is iraq. But nancy pelosi, second in command, did not fall in line. Flouting authority, she spearheaded the opposition to the resolution. I say flatout that unilateral use of force without first exhausting every diplomatic remedy and other remedies and making a case to the American People will be harmful to our war on terrorism. She led a revolt against the leader of the democrats who stood in the rose garden with george bush. She led a majority of House Democrats to vote against the war in iraq. One of the worst mistakes our country has ever made was the war in iraq. I said at the time the intelligence does not support the threat. They said, are you calling the president a liar . I said no, im not calling him a liar. Im stating a fact. It wasnt there. The joint resolution is passed. I never would ask anybody to vote a certain way on a war. I just told them why i was voting against the war. And that earned her a real strong following among a number of people on the left. In the run up to the 2004 president ial election, pelosi put the iraq war front and center. Repeatedly hammering president bush. There has to be some change in the personnel in the administration. If the president doesnt want to make those changes, then were just going to have to have a new president. In response to pelosis attacks on the president , republicans struck back. Giving rise to a new gop rallying cry, nancy pelosi, liberal menace. She is identifiable democratic boogieman or boogieperson. Shell be the most liberal speaker of the house, ever, ever in this country. It will be so far to the left, they would guarantee the republicans reelection. Why do you try to sack the quarterback . Because the quarterback is burning you. Shes winni ingwinning. Coming up for our daughters and our granddaughters, today we have broken the marble ceiling. E broken the marble ceiling. Along with support, chantix is proven to help you quit. With chantix you can keep smoking at first and ease into quitting. Chantix reduces the urge so when the day arrives, youll be more ready to kiss cigarettes goodbye. When you try to quit smoking, with or without chantix, you may have nicotine withdrawal symptoms. 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This is nice. This is my sexy mom car. I would feel like a cool dad. Its just really chic. I love this thing. Its gorgeous. I would pull up in this in a heartbeat. I want one of these. That is sharp. The allnew chevy blazer. Speaks for itself. I dont know who they got to design this but give them a cookie and a star. Top stories. Boeing ceo admitting his company made a mistake in their handling of a cockpit warning light. He promised more transparency in the future. Two crashes have left 346 people dead. A massive blackout sunday left people without electricity. A third of argentinas population is still without power. The cause is unknown. Now back to headliners, nancy pelosi. After a bitter and contention battle with the gop, nancy pelosi led democrats to victory in the 2006 midterm elections. Tonight the American People have called for a new direction. They have called for change for america. Democrats picked up 31 seats in the house, winning the majority and capturing control of the chamber for the first time in 12 years. After the new congress was sworn in on january 4th, 2007, the Democratic Caucus voted for their next speaker of the house. For many, there was only one choice, nancy pelosi. She was very well positioned to pick up that mantle and very well positioned to take advantage of it. Pelosis control of the caucus was so complete, not a single democrat ran against her. The honorable nancy pelosi of the state of california is duly elected speaker of the house of representatives for the 110th congress. Nobody has gotten close to the speakership being a woman. Suddenly here is pelosi. Even pelosis rivals couldnt help but acknowledge the moment. Our leaders have always selected a man for the responsibility and honor as serving as speaker of the house. Always, that is, until today. To watch the gavel be actually handed to pelosi, into a womans hands, it is a seminal moment in women and power in washington. For our daughters and our granddaughters, today we have broken the marble ceiling. Shes underappreciated because no one really stops to think about what the job of speaker is, that shes the first woman to gain the trust of all these members, half of whom think they should be president of the United States and the other half think they should be a United States senator. I dont think i will ever forget nancy having the children around here. Lets hear it for the children. Were here for the children. And suddenly kids come running up. It is an amazing piece of tape. And, yeah, it doesnt get any better. Nancy pelosi became americas first madam speaker. Just as the democrats took control of both chambers of congress. Nancy pelosi walked into a situation that would be the dream of almost any speaker of the house. That was, she had a large democratic majority. There was a massive democratic majority in the senate as well. Change has come to america. Two years later, the country elected its first africanamerican president , ushering a new era with ambitious goals. There be no doubt, Health Care Reform cannot wait. It must not wait and it will not wait another year. High on the priority list, sweeping legislation that would give millions of uninsured Americans Health care. Responsible for the critical task of getting the votes in the house, nancy pelosi. Talk to me about why the Affordable Care act to you is fundamental. We believe that health care is a right for all, not a privilege for the few. And that its not only about Affordable Care. It is about patient protections and Affordable Care. We do not want this bill passed. We want to kill the bill. Reaction to what republicans disparagingly called obamacare was heated. Go back to washington, d. C. And tell them, leave our health care alone. Fix our medicare. We deserve better. We are taking a stand today. [ applause ] this was the most unconstitutional thing i have ever seen in my life. Amid the intense debate over obamacare, senator ted kennedy, a staunch supporter of Health Care Reform, passed away. The loss of his senate seat to republican scott brown cost the democrats their 60 seat super majority. Any Health Care Bill now needed republican support to pass in the senate, which did not exist. To many of capitol hill, the Affordable Care act looked dead on arrival. But not to nancy pelosi. The press would say to me, it doesnt look like you are going to pass this. I said, we believe this is the challenge of our generation. Behind closed doors, rahm emanuel pushed to scrap much of the bill for a series of smaller, more incremental measures with the better chance of republican cooperation. The white house wanted to break it up into pieces. And nancy pelosi said, no, under no circumstances. We are going to move forward, and we are going to win this vote. The president sided with pelosi. A time for talk is over. It is time to vote. By march 2010, democrats found a way forward, an intricate congressional procedure that would allow them to maneuver the Affordable Care act through both houses without republican support. But first Speaker Pelosi would have to coral the necessary democratic votes in the house, which would muster all of her political mastery and capital. [ applause ] we are on the verge of making great history for the American People and in doing so, we will make great progress for them as well. She knows how to count votes in the house and play the game in the house like few other people have. And to keep people with her in terms of subcommittee assignments, contracts, things that only a speaker really has the power to do. Were not going to let any barriers stand in the way. If there is a barrier, we will go up the fence, we will push open the gate. If that doesnt work, well climb the fence. If that doesnt work, well pole vault in. If that doesnt work, well parachute in, but were not letting anything stand in the way of our passing the Affordable Care act. But a mu ttiny e represented within pelosis own party. She basically said, if we dont stick together, its not going to pass. Nt stick togethet going to pass. Shaving has been difficult for me. I have very sensitive skin, and i get ingrowing hairs. So its a daunting task. Oh i love it. Its a great razor. It has that fence in the middle. It gives a nice smooth shave. Just stopping that irritation. That burn that i get is really life changing. Applebees new loaded chicken fajitas. Now only 10. 99. Hey allergy muddlers. Achoo . Do your sneezes turn heads . Try zyrtec. Zyrtec starts working hard at hour one. And works twice as hard when you take it again the next day. Zyrtec muddle no more. And try childrens zyrtec for consistently powerful relief of your kids allergies. Ive always been im still going for my best. 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Ask your doctor if eliquis is whats next for you. In march of 2010, with the house on the brink of passing the Affordable Care act, members of Nancy Pelosis caucus rebelled. The question to want is whether or not right leading democrats will go along when the votes are cast tomorrow afternoon. Tonight it is down to the wire. Conservative democrats led by michigans bart stupak refused to vote for the bill without assurances that federal funds would not be used for abortions. Do you think the bill will pass right now, congressman . Right now today . No. House Speaker Pelosi joined forces with the white house and brokered a crucial, lastminute compromise. An executive order guaranteeing no federal funds would be used for abortion. With the help of the president and the speaker, we have come with an agreement to protect the sangty of life in the Health Care Reform. It is never easy to get people from a variety of backgrounds inside your own tent to cooperate. Shes really good at giving away enough candy to keep people in the tent. On march 21st came the final vote with the future of Health Care Reform resting on the speakers shoulders. There were no republicans who were supporting it at all. It was something where liberals demanded a public option, which was a more progressive piece of it. Conservatives said it is almost like socialism. Pelosi kept them altogether. The vote was a cliff hanger years in the making and the ultimate test of Nancy Pelosis political mastery. She basically said, if we dont stick together, it is not going to pass. On this vote the yahs are 220. The nahs are 211. The bill is passed. Two days later, president obama signed the Health Care Reform bill into law. We are done. [ applause ] after the historic victory, Speaker Pelosi became an even bigger target for the gop. These hats might make us look a little undignified, but i think the message says it all. Fire nancy pelosi. In the run up to the 2010 midterms, republicans like then National Committee chairman Michael Steele hit the campaign trail with their sights set on pelosi. Are we going to fire pelosi . The power center at that time was not with barack obama. It was on capitol hill. It was manifest in the leadership of nancy pelosi as speaker of the house. And her ability to at that time coral the votes she needed to get obamacare, the Affordable Care act, passed. Prepublicans across the country joined in with a barrage of increasingly vitriolic political ads, even portraying pelosi as a witch. I believe it is time to throw a little water on politicians who say one thing and do another like nancy pelosi. Come election day, it appeared the strategy worked. In a crushing blow, democrats lost 63 seats in the house, giving republicans majority control. She became a representation of all those politicians out there that werent doing their job and werent meeting the expectation of the people and then had the arrogance to come at you and say, well, now, this is how we are going to run your health care. For pelosi, it was a low point in a long career of highs. She chose, instead, to run for House Minority leader. She surprised a lot of people after that election when she said, im going to stay around. But pelosi faced a challenger. North carolinas heath shuler, a member of the blue dogs. There are more than just the blue dogs who have a concern with what is going on. And that message has been loud and clear. He garnered 43 votes of support, but it wasnt even close. Pelosi finished with 150 and retained control of the caucus asthma jo as majority leader. She knows the ins and outs of the people she leads. Thats what makes her such a great leader. This is an experienced, diverse leadership. It is a team that took us to victory in 05 and 06 and will take us to victory again. But even the salvy veteran did not see the political phenomenon known as donald trump coming. In one of the biggest upsets in american history, donald trump won the presidency to become the countrys 45th commander in chief. Early on, the minority leader clashed with the president on a host of issues, including immigration. In early 2018 with activists across the country protesting President Trumps attempts to end the daca program. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Pelosi literally took a stand, speaking for more than eight hours, demanding protections for dreamers. It was the longest continuous speech in house history. Done at age 77 and in four inch heels. Let us thank and acknowledge the dreamers for their courage, their optimism, their inspiration to make america more american. Thank you, my colleagues. We are a nation of immigrants. The president has recognized the value of immigration to america except this president. What he is doing is not only wrong in terms of who we are as a nation, its really a departure from the belief that were all gods children, that everyone has a spark of divinity and we have to respect that. When voters went to the polls for the 2018 midterms, two years of Donald Trumps presidency inspired a blue wave in the house. The votes keep coming, and the democrats keep winning. Wow, what a night. What a night [ applause ] democrats picked up 40 seats in the house to claim the majority. A caucus that included dozens of freshmen representatives. Nancy pelosi expected to lead them as house speaker. But many were looking for a fresh face at the helm. New questions about the future of Democratic Leadership in the house. A group of democrats say they have enough votes to block nancy pelosi. In my district, you have to hear what people are telling you. The detriments of nancy pel low in the minds of a lot of people is that shes been around the block a few too many times, that shes not a brand that extends beyond the democratic base. Pelosi was able to quell the rebellion but at a cost. She agreed to step down as speaker in four years, a compromise that signalled the beginning of the end of her career. But also at 78, her unmatchable skills as a political survivor. This time she had to stitch together, you know, alliances among some people who initially said they wouldnt support her, but she got over 200 members of the caucus to get behind her. Having once again asserted her control over the house, nancy pelosi was elected speaker when the 116th congress began in january of 2019. This business is not for the faint of heart. It is understanding the political process and having a spine of steel. It was the first time a speaker returned to power after losing the majority in more than half a century. [ applause ] im particularly proud to be woman proud to be a woman speaker of the house of this congress, which marks the 100th year of women having the right to vote. Back in power, nancy pelosi was about to face her biggest battle yet. Coming up the state of the union speech has been canceled by nancy pelosi because she doesnt want to hear the truth. The second speakership for pelosi pitted her against President Trump as the leader of the Democratic Party. Calves. Liberty mutual customizes your Car Insurance, so you only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. With venus, youre in charge of your skin. So, write your own rules. Because no one gets an opinion on why you shave or how you show your skin. I was told to begin my aspirin regimen, blem. And i just didnt listen. Until i almost lost my life. My doctors again ordered me to take aspirin, and i do. Be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. Listen to the doctor. Take it seriously. 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After overcoming resistance from opponents within her Democratic Caucus, nancy pelosi officially received the speakers gavel on january 23rd, 2019. The second speakership for pelosi has been the truly important one. It has pitted her against President Trump as leader of the Democratic Party. The fight started the month before she was sworn in. When she and Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer met with President Trump about a deal that would include building the wall he proposed on the mexican border. The president so often just makes stuff up, numbers, facts, et cetera. Were going to confront him. Not in a harsh by, were going to confront him. If i needed the votes in the house id have them in one session, it would be done. To those who questioned pelosis ability to deal with President Trump, the way she conducted herself in the oval office was a turning point. But there are no votes in the house, a majority of votes, for a wall no matter where you start. Exactly right. We had planned to sort of onetwo punch ahead of time, but it worked beyond our wildest expectations. The most unfortunate thing, we came in here in good faith, and were entering into a this kind of a discussion in the public view. But its not there, nancy, full transparency. I wanted to kind of say, why do we have to do this in public because we have to contradict you. It was his insistence that the press stay there. And i think that he thought he could just get away with saying whatever he wanted to say without any challenge. Did it strike you at that moment maybe hes not very smart . Were you surprised . Well, no, im never surprised. What i was, though, was that this is the type of person used to getting his own way. I am proud to shut down the government for border security, chuck. Because the people of this country dont want criminals and people that have lots of problems and drugs pouring into our country. So i will take the mantle. I will be the one who shut it down. Im not going to blame you for it. The person who shuts the government down almost always loses. What followed was the longest federal shutdown in u. S. History. Stretching for 35 days. The reality is that the president could end this trump shutdown and reopen government today. And he should. As the shutdown continued, pelosi disinvited the president from his own state of the Union Address in the house chamber, while giving him the option of delivering his speech from the oval office or in writing. T. S. Elliot once said, most things dont end with a bang, they end with a whimper. This shutdown ended with a whimper. It was President Trump having to recede and spin himself out of the shutdown and say, it was over. In a short while i will sign a bill to open our government. No one should ever underestimate the speaker, as donald trump has learned. When the state of the union occurred, nearly two weeks after the government reopened, the speaker read along while the president spoke. And embrace the boundless potential of cooperation, compromise, and the common good. As the chamber applauded, pelosi replied with a clap that seemed to radiate with sarcasm. At that moment he said he wanted to work in a bipartisan way. And while some will doubt what i say now, honestly, i was applauding him, now youre talking, now youre talking. But people thought it was more a mock of him than anything. It was like, sure, okay. No, honestly, it was, okay, now hes talking. People in her party loved it because they wanted to see that confidence in the trump era from their own leadership. Republicans saw the clap more as a rude gesture. But President Trump was uncharacteristically silent on the matter. In fact, pelosi seemed oddly immune from the president s social media venom and name calling. That all changed after pelosi accused the president of obstructing justice in the russia probe. We believe that no one is above the law, including the president of the United States. And we believe that the president of the United States is engaged in a coverup. Trump responded with insults. Crazy nancy. Shes not the same person. Shes lost it. And as some members of her party pushed for impeachment, polito reported that pelosi told Democratic Leaders the president deserved imprisonment instead. On fox news, President Trumps respectful tone toward pelosi now turned to fury. I think shes a disgrace. Shes a nasty, vindictive, horrible person. We are at a place where the president of the United States is not honoring his oath of office. He is in violation of the separation of powers, which is the heart of the matter of our constitution. Beyond that you wonder, what do russians have on this president politically, financially, personally, that he is allowing them to get away with disrupting our election . Those questions may ultimately fall to congress to answer. No matter what happens during the rest of her tenure, nancy pelosi has already forged an indelible place in the american political narrative. She has shaped history, shes made history, she hasnt stopped making history. And regardless how tough and rough the waters are, shes the best swimmer of all. I keep saying about our founders, e. Pleasure bus union numb, from many, one. They couldnt possibly imagine how many we would be or how different we would be, but they knew we had to be one. We had certain values and principles that we cannot abandon. And youre certain were going to be okay . Oh, yeah. Well be okay. Because i have confidence in the American People. This is an msnbc special presentation. Being a gay person, a lesbian in the 50s, not only were you a depraved person, bad person, you could be arrested and put in jail. Oh my god. I think i am one of these people theyre talking about. Commie, pinko fag. It was a true witch hunt. Theres only so long you can