Nancy Pelosi quits after GOP takes control of US House of Representatives

Nancy Pelosi will step down from Democratic Party leadership after Republicans narrowly took control of the US House of Representatives.

Outgoing US Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. Picture AFP

Nancy Pelosi, the longtime leader of Democrats and foil to Donald Trump, has quit as US House Speaker after Republicans seized control of the lower chamber of Congress.

The 82-year-old announced she would stand down from her senior leadership role in the Democratic Party when Republicans take control of the chamber in January.

“For me, the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect,” Ms Pelosi, who first became speaker in 2007, said.

The Californian, who presided over both dismissed impeachments of former president Mr Trump, said she would “not seek re-election to Democratic leadership in the next Congress”.

Ms Pelosi’s departure as party leader marks the end of an era in Washington.

Elected to Congress in 1987, she first became speaker in 2007 and is currently second in the line of succession to President Joe Biden.

Outgoing US Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. Picture AFP

Mr Biden said Americans owe Ms Pelosi a “deep debt of gratitude,” adding that her response to last year’s riot at the US Capitol proved her to be a “fierce defender of democracy”.

She would be remembered as the “most consequential” House speaker in US history, Mr Biden said.

Ms Pelosi said last week that her decision on the future would be influenced by the brutal attack on her elderly husband in the run-up to the November 8 midterms.

Paul Pelosi was left hospitalised with serious injuries after an intruder — possibly looking for the speaker — broke into their San Francisco home and attacked him with a hammer.

Ms Pelosi said she would continue to represent her San Francisco district in the next Congress and praised Democrats’ better-than-expected performance in the midterm contest.

Mike Pence claps as Speaker of the US House Nancy Pelosi appears to rip a copy of Donald Trump’s speech after he delivers the State of the Union address. Picture: AFP

Donald Trump arrives to deliver the State of the Union address, alongside Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Picture AFP

“Last week, the American people spoke and their voices were raised in defence of liberty, of the rule of law and of democracy itself,” she said.

“The people stood in the breach and repelled the assault on democracy.”

In congratulating top House Republican Kevin McCarthy, Mr Biden said he was “ready to work with House Republicans to deliver results for working families.”

Mr McCarthy, who has his eye on the speaker’s gavel, said for his part that “Americans are ready for a new direction, and House Republicans are ready to deliver.”

And House Republicans immediately signalled they would wield their new power to make Mr Biden’s life more difficult — convening a press conference to announce plans to investigate the “national security” implications of the president’s family business connections.

REPUBLICANS TAKE CONTROL OF HOUSE

Republicans on Wednesday took control of the US House of Representatives from Democrats, narrowly securing a legislative base to oppose President Joe Biden’s agenda for the final two years of his term – and leaving power in Congress split.

Republicans on Wednesday took control of the US House of Representatives from Democrats. Picture: AFP

The slim Republican majority in the lower house of the US legislature will be far smaller than the party had been banking on, and Republicans also failed to take control of the Senate in a historically weak performance in the November 8 midterm elections.

NBC and CNN projected the victory for Republicans with at least 218 seats in the 435-member House of Representatives – the magic number needed to take control. This came a week after millions of Americans went to the polls for the midterms, which typically deliver a rejection of the party in the White House.

NBC and CNN projected the victory for Republicans with at least 218 seats in the 435-member House of Representatives. Picture: AFP

Mr Biden congratulated top House Republican Kevin McCarthy “on Republicans winning the House majority” and added that he was “ready to work with House Republicans to deliver results for working families.”

Last week’s vote, he said, was “a strong rejection of election deniers, political violence and intimidation” and demonstrated “the strength and resilience of American democracy.”

Tweeting soon after the projection was called, Mr McCarthy said that “Americans are ready for a new direction, and House Republicans are ready to deliver.”

DONALD TRUMP LAUNCHES THIRD WHITE HOUSE CAMPAIGN

Donald Trump has launched his third White House campaign despite growing opposition to the former president within his own party and multiple investigations that could lead to criminal charges.

Two years out from the 2024 presidential election, Mr Trump confirmed he would seek the Republican nomination, defying calls even from allies to hold off after he was widely blamed for the party’s poor performance in last week’s midterm elections.

“America’s comeback starts right now,” he said, declaring he would “fight like no one has ever fought before”.

“We are a nation in decline. We are a failing nation.”

“I didn’t need this. I had a very nice, easy life … But we love our country and we have to take care of it, and we have to save our country.”

Donald Trump speaks at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida. Picture: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images

His announcement sets up what will be a bruising battle within the Republican Party, with some senior figures pushing to move on from Mr Trump to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

A number of other top Republicans are also weighing up jumping into the race including Mr Trump’s vice president Mike Pence, who said: “I think we’ll have better choices.”

Mr Trump was widely blamed for backing candidates in the midterms who failed to win critical races, handing Joe Biden the best result for a president in two decades.

Trump supporters gather at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. Picture: AFP

Supporters wait for the arrival of former US president Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Picture: Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP

A Trump fan waves a flag at Mar-A-Lago in West Palm Beach, Florida. Picture: Giorgio Viera / AFP

In an hour-long speech at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Mr Trump defended his record in office and promised a new “platform of national greatness and glory” centred on ending America’s reliance on China, introducing the death penalty for drug dealers, bolstering border security, eliminating homelessness and planting the US flag on Mars.

While he avoided repeating his false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him, Mr Trump promised new voting rules that would end early voting and the use of electronic machines, saying it was “a very personal job for me”.

The twice-impeached former president remains in the sights of the Justice Department for his team’s concerted effort to cling on to power in 2020, as well as his storage of classified documents.

He has reportedly told allies he hoped officially announcing his candidacy would blunt any push to lay charges against him.

Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, leave a polling station after voting in the US midterm elections in Palm Beach, Florida. Picture: Eva Marie Uzcategui / AFP)

Donald Trump has reportedly been consulting daughter Ivanka Trump. Picture: Mandel Ngan / AFP

In his speech, Mr Trump said he was a “victim” of the Justice Department and the FBI, as he vowed to tackle the “festering rot and corruption” and “dismantle the deep state”.

“The Washington establishment wants to silence us but we will not let them do that,” he said.

“We will not be intimidated … We will stand tall in the storm.”

The former president was accompanied by his wife Melania but his daughter Ivanka – who was a key adviser in the White House – did not attend, saying she did “not plan to be involved in politics” any longer.

Having spent the past week sniping at his internal foes including Mr DeSantis, who was convincingly re-elected in the midterms, Mr Trump did not take any potshots in his speech.

The Florida Governor had earlier refused to respond to Mr Trump’s attacks, saying it was “noise” and he expected “incoming fire” because of his success.

He dodged questions about his own aspirations, instead telling critics to “check the scoreboard” after his victory last week in what was traditionally a swing state.

A YouGov poll put Mr Trump behind Mr DeSantis in a hypothetical primary race, with 42 per cent of Republicans preferring the Florida Governor while just 35 per cent remained in the former president’s corner.

Mr Biden, who was in Bali for the G20 summit, was asked if he had a view on Mr Trump’s announcement and said: “Not really.”

With AFP

Originally published as Nancy Pelosi quits after GOP takes control of US House of Representatives