Outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was holding what may have been her last press conference of her decades-long career in leadership on Thursday when she was asked a question that she apparently did not want to answer regarding her future in the House of Representatives.
The question was simple enough, and worth asking after Pelosi announced she was taking a step back from House leadership starting with the new Congress in January after Republicans retook control of the lower chamber: "Will you commit to serving your full two-year term for the people of San Francisco?"
When Pelosi spoke from the House floor after the midterms to declare her decision to walk away from leadership, she said she would stay on as something of a backbencher in the House to supposedly help guide Democrats as they reenter the minority. However, Pelosi has not made a firm commitment to serve the full two-year term to which she was elected in November. Hence the question on Thursday.
Judging by Pelosi's response to Thursday, she really does not want to talk about how long she's going to stick around. "What is this? What is this?" Pelosi snapped in her answer. "Don't bother me with a question like that. Really. Really, ok?" Pelosi continued indignantly. "I said what I'm gonna do. Those kind of questions are such a waste of my time," she claimed.
"Will you commit to serving your full two-year term for the people of San Francisco?"
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) December 15, 2022
NANCY PELOSI: "What is this? What is this? Don't bother me with a question like that. Really. Really, ok? I said what I'm gonna do. Those kind of questions are such a waste of my time." pic.twitter.com/cINT3MWdQD
Pelosi's response — while wasting more time than simply saying "yes" or "no" — is more of the typical holier-than-thou nonsense for which Pelosi has become known. Here's the thing: Pelosi was elected by the people of her district and they deserve to know whether she is committed to serving them or if she's just sticking around Congress for a few months to avoid losing all her power at once and then shlepping off into retirement without finishing the job she was elected to do.
But now, yet again, we know that Pelosi — as if it wasn't clear before in her career — views being accountable to and honest with the people she represents as a "waste" of her time.