Donald Trump previously labeled the former House speaker one of America’s “enemies from within”
Former US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi is projected to return to Congress next year for a historic 20th term, The Hill reported on Wednesday, citing voting projections. Congressional elections are taking place alongside the presidential race, with 34 of 100 seats in the Senate and all 435 in the House of Representatives up for grabs.
According to the report, the 84-year-old Democrat is expected to win reelection to the House in California’s 11th Congressional District, encompassing most of San Francisco. The report surfaced after 50% of the votes were tallied, with Pelosi securing over 80%.
First elected to Congress in 1987, Pelosi became the first woman to serve as House speaker, a position she held twice. She has also been the longest-serving leader in the Democratic Party’s history in Congress.
Pelosi publicly urged incumbent President Joe Biden to abandon his reelection plans, leading to his withdrawal from the race as the Democratic candidate and his replacement by Vice President Kamala Harris.
Reports of Pelosi’s win arrive as the final votes are being counted in the presidential race. Although the official election results have yet to be declared, Trump has already secured wins in key battleground states and surpassed the threshold of 270 electoral college votes required to win the White House, according to media projections.
Pelosi is among the most vocal critics of Trump. She has called him a “snake-oil salesman” and “the creature from the Black Lagoon,” and spearheaded Democratic efforts during impeachment proceedings against Trump during his previous term in office. Speaking to reporters while promoting her latest book this August, Pelosi called it her “goal in life” for Trump to “never step in the White House again.”
Trump lashed out at Pelosi in his campaign’s closing speech on Tuesday, recalling her attempts to impeach him. He described Pelosi as an “evil, sick, crazy, horrible human being” and “trouble for our country,” adding that he wanted to call her the “B-word.” In an interview on Fox News last month, he labeled Pelosi America’s “enemy from within.”
According to the latest media reports, the Republicans have secured control of the Senate for the first time in four years. It remains unclear which party will control the House of Representatives, as there are numerous races yet to be called.