According to Fox News, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) just revealed that her decision about whether or not to retire after the midterm elections “will be affected” by the recent violent attack on her husband, Paul Pelosi.
Pelosi touched upon her possible retirement in a new interview that she did with CNN’s Anderson Cooper. He was very careful about how he approached the subject knowing that it is something that Pelosi has made clear that she doesn’t want to discuss until after the midterms.
“There’s obviously been a lot of discussion about whether you would retire if Democrats lose the house,” Cooper began. “I know you’re not going to answer that question, so I’m not even going to ask that question.”
“Good, I’m glad,” Pelosi responded. Cooper, nonetheless, pressed on, trying to get a little something out of Pelosi, asking, “can you confirm that you’ve made a decision about what you would do?” to which Pelosi replied, “well, that’s like asking the question, isn’t it?”
A hint from Pelosi?
Cooper next tried to convince Pelosi that he is not trying to get her to reveal her retirement decision, saying, “I’m just asking, have you looked ahead? Have you made the decision in your mind, whatever that decision might be?”
That’s when Pelosi revealed that her decision “would be affected by what happened the last week or two.”
Cooper then asked Pelosi to clarify whether her decision will be affected by the violent attack on her husband. “Yes,” Pelosi replied.
Background
There have been rumors for many months now that Pelosi may retire after the midterm elections if the Republicans take control of the House, something that forecasters consider to be an odds-on certainty to happen.
Pelosi has been asked about her retirement many times, but every time she has shut down such questioning, insisting that the focus be, not on her retirement, but on trying to help her fellow Democrats maintain control of Congress.
Based on Cooper’s interview with Pelosi, it does appear that we can expect a post-midterm retirement decision from Pelosi. But, what the interview doesn’t clarify is whether that decision will be a decision to retire or a decision to remain in Congress.
Pelosi does say that the attack on her husband will affect her decision. But, that can go either way: it could be a reason to get out of politics or a reason to remain in politics.
It appears that we’re just not going to know what Pelosi’s retirement decision is until she decides to reveal it.