Donald Trump has doubled down on his attack against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over her visit to Taiwan, accusing her of giving China just what Beijing wanted and vowing that Republicans will “end” her career in the November midterm vote.
“And we are going to end Crazy Nancy Pelosi, what the hell? What was she doing in Taiwan? Oh, she was China’s dream. She gave them an excuse. They’ve been looking for that excuse, she gave it. Everything she touches turns to you-know-what,” Trump said, speaking at a ‘Save America’ rally in Waukesha, Wisconsin on Friday night.
Following Pelosi’s Tuesday visit to the China-claimed island, the People’s Liberation Army kicked off massive naval and air drills, announced that it would be reducing diplomatic cooperation with Washington on a raft of issues including climate and military-to-military ties, and slapped personal sanctions on Pelosi and her family.
Trump’s attack on the House speaker is at least the third time he’s mentioned her trip to Taiwan over the past week.
Last Saturday, Trump pondered “why” Pelosi was “getting involved with China and Taiwan other than to make trouble and more money,” and suggested that “the China mess is the last thing she should be involved in.”
Trump stepped up his attack on the Democrat the day she arrived in Taiwan, accusing her of “always causing trouble” and suggesting that “nothing she does turns out well (two failed impeachments, loss of House, etc.) Watch!”
The former president and the House speaker developed an openly hostile relationship during Trump’s tenure in office, with the Republican crowning her with a range of epithets, including “Nancy Antoinette,” “Nervous Nancy,” and “MS-13 Lover.” Pelosi has shot back, giving Trump a sarcastic clap back during his 2019 state of the union address, and ripping up a copy of his speech at the same venue in 2020.
Pelosi was at the forefront of impeachment proceedings against Trump in 2019 on abuse of power and obstruction of Congress charges over a telephone conversation the president had had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over the possibility of restarting a corruption probe against Hunter Biden. Pelosi also presided over Trump’s second impeachment in 2021 following the January 6 unrest at the Capitol. The Senate acquitted him both times.