Nancy Pelosi may have reclaimed her position as Speaker of the House, but many feel she should go back to school on the U.S. Constitution.
In a historic return, the California Democrat was elected as speaker for the second time in 12 years, putting her in position to be next in line for the presidency should anything happen to President Donald Trump and then Vice President Mike Pence.
But in a New York Times interview published on Thursday, the 78-year old liberal showed how dangerously ignorant she is of the Constitution that she is sworn to uphold.
In the interview, Pelsoi recalled wondering, “Doesn’t anybody listen to a woman in the room?” at a White House dinner when men were speaking over her.
“Hopefully that will become a thing of the past now that we have so many women in Congress — and with the gavel,” she said. “The gavel makes a big difference.”
Pelosi was asked by Sheryl Gay Stolberg in The New York Times interview if she considered herself to be equal to Trump.
“The Constitution does,” she replied, according to piece which called her an “icon of female power.”
Soon after she took control of the House, Pelosi issued a letter to Trump that began, “The Constitution established the legislative, executive and judicial branches as co-equal branches of government, to be a check and balance on each other.”
Though the Constitution established the separation of powers in the federal government, the three branches have far from equal powers. Article I, Section 8 gives 18 powers specifically and only to Congress, including collecting taxes and declaring war. Article II, Section 2 lists the six enumerated powers of the president which include being Commander and Chief of the military.
Legal scholar Jonathan Turley fact-checked Pelosi’s statement in a blog post on Friday.
“A speaker is not the equal to a president because a speaker is not the head of one of the branches. She is at most the head of one of the house of the Legislative Branch and even that can be contested as overblown since her powers are limited under House rules,” Turley explained.
“The fact that a Speaker is second in line to the President under the Presidential Succession Act also does not make her a constitutional equal — any more than cabinet members are the equal to the president because they are also in the line of succession,” he wrote.
Pelosi’s statement about being equal to the president as the speaker drew scathing rebukes on social media.
This is nonsense. Accepting, for argument’s sake (since it’s not in the text of the Constitution), that the legislature is a “co-equal” branch of government, Pelosi’s party only controls one of two chambers, and not the upper one. https://t.co/79m211F7Ol
— Joel B. Pollak (@joelpollak) January 3, 2019
Lol, Pelosi said that the Constitution considers her the President’s equal. Sure Nancy, try signing some of the garbage legislation the House passes and let us know how that goes…
— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) January 3, 2019
It’s quite obvious to me that nutcase Pelosi’s understanding of the Constitution as pertaining to her Speakership role, is one she lacks in defining correctly. Truth is, she’s not equal to the President, just in the line of sucession in t event something happened to t President.
— MakeAmericaGreat2020 (@MGreat2020) January 4, 2019
No, the 3 BRANCHES of our Constitutional Republic are coequal, not the leaders! There’s no way in hell Pelosi is equal to Trump! #delusional
— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan68) January 3, 2019
She clearly has not read the Constitution. It considers the Legislative Branch equal to the Executive. She is just one leader in the Legislative Branch. Trump is the leader of the Executive Branch.
— Kenny Hansen (@Ken_Sen) January 3, 2019
Great. @SpeakerPelosi is insane and @TheDemocrats just made her speaker. So she’s saying @SpeakerRyan was equal to the @POTUS?
— Steve Carlson 2.020 (@SteveWCarlson) January 4, 2019
She never said that when Obama was president, was the Constitution updated? https://t.co/S280Zrq2fn
— Anthony J Bruno (@ajbruno14) January 4, 2019
I didn’t realize Nancy could issue Executive Orders and veto legislation. Impressive!
— Drew (@StMillerFan) January 4, 2019
The constitution considers the ENTIRE Congress, some 500+ members together as an equal branch. The Speakership is an invention of congress and isn’t even mentioned in the Constitution.
— The Jdub (@jwscotterz) January 4, 2019
Lol, Pelosi said the Constitution considers her the President’s equal
Nancy – POTUS is in charge of the Executive Branch. You’re the Leader of 1/2 of a co-equal Branch (Congress)
+ even then, you need support from the House to have your Leadership role amount to a hill of beans https://t.co/ZBGvrQ3gGr
— John Betts (@JohnFromCranber) January 3, 2019
Thank goodness I’m learning so much from Pelosi than I ever could from my basic civics courses…oh wait…
— Zach Jameson (@inglorious_zach) January 4, 2019
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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