Exclusive: Nancy Pelosi Boldly Predicts Democrats Retake House in 2026 Midterms, Declares Hakeem Jeffries Next Speaker in Emotional Reflection on Jan. 6 and Legacy
In a powerful new interview, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confidently declared that Democrats will win back the House in the 2026 midterms, insisting Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will wield the gavel as the next speaker. The iconic California Democrat, reflecting on her trailblazing career and the trauma of the January 6 attack, emphasized unity and reclaiming congressional power amid the second Trump administration.
Speaking with ABC News’ Jonathan Karl in Washington, D.C., on December 18, 2025, Pelosi left no doubt about her optimism for the Nancy Pelosi 2026 prediction. “Hakeem Jeffries is ready, he’s eloquent, he’s respected by the members, he is a unifier,” she said. When pressed if she had any doubt Jeffries would become speaker, Pelosi replied firmly: “None.”
Pelosi, who announced in November she will not seek reelection in 2026 after nearly four decades in Congress, stressed the urgency of flipping the House. “Right now, the Republicans in the Congress have abolished the Congress. They just do what the president insists that they do. That will be over,” she warned. “That ends as soon as we have the gavel.”
The interview, airing on “This Week,” comes as Pelosi wraps up her storied tenure. Entering Congress in 1987 as one of just 23 women, she shattered glass ceilings: first female party whip, minority leader, and speaker in 2007—becoming third in line to the presidency. She never initially sought leadership but stepped up after Democratic losses in the 1990s, leveraging her fundraising and electoral expertise.
Proudest of shepherding the Affordable Care Act, Pelosi said: “If I were to be remembered for one thing, it would be the Affordable Care Act.” She described it as transformative for families’ health and financial security.
On January 6, 2021—what she called the darkest day of her speakership—Pelosi was unflinching. “It was clear that the president of the United States had incited an insurrection,” she recounted, noting pleas for National Guard assistance went unanswered despite bipartisan urgency, including from Mitch McConnell. “What happened that day was horrible. It was an assault on the Capitol, the symbol of democracy to the world… an assault on the Constitution.”
She accused Trump of rewriting history: “The sorrow of it also springs from the fact that this president is trying to have a different narrative of what happened that day.” Yet, she added, “History will… he’ll pay a price in history.”
Reflecting on her infamous tearing of Trump’s State of the Union speech, Pelosi explained: “I didn’t intend to go to the speech to tear it up… It was a manifesto of lies all throughout.” On potential third impeachment, she said it depends on Trump’s actions: “The one person who was responsible for the impeachments of Donald Trump is Donald Trump.”
For American readers, Pelosi’s Nancy Pelosi 2026 prediction signals a fierce battle ahead. With Republicans holding slim majorities and facing midterm headwinds under a polarizing president, a Democratic House flip could gridlock Trump’s agenda—protecting programs like Social Security, healthcare, and democracy safeguards. It resonates deeply for U.S. voters concerned about checks and balances, women’s leadership, and healing post-January 6 divisions.
Pelosi’s focus remains forward: “I’m busy, and focused on winning the House for the Democrats, making Hakeem Jeffries the Speaker… and to take us to a better place.” She urged restoring faith in governance: “By and large, the American people are good people… that gives them hope.”
As Pelosi prepares to exit stage left, her unyielding confidence in a 2026 Democratic resurgence underscores her enduring influence. With Jeffries poised to lead, the fight for the House—and America’s direction—intensifies.
By Mark Smith
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