Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is under scrutiny after a bold claim about migrant numbers under President Joe Biden’s administration compared to those under former President Donald Trump.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Pelosi stated: “I don’t think we were clear enough by saying fewer people came in under President Joe Biden than came under Donald Trump,” Pelosi told The New York Times during a recent interview. “It’s clarity of the message, and if that’s what [Sen.] Bernie’s [Sanders] talking about, and that’s what [Sen.] Joe Manchin’s talking about, we weren’t clear in our message as to what things are, then I agree with that.”
However, The Washington Post published a fact-check on Wednesday, challenging her assertion.
Washington Post Delivers Harsh Verdict
According to The Post, Pelosi’s statement directly contradicts documented data. Their report emphasized:
“documented fact” that “at least four times as many migrants entered the United States under Biden than under Trump.”
The fact-check further unraveled Pelosi’s interpretation, stating that her claim earned “Four Pinocchios,” their strongest rebuke for misleading statements.
Pelosi’s Aide Responds
An aide clarified Pelosi’s comments, suggesting she was referencing deportations rather than overall migrant entries. The aide pointed to a Reuters report highlighted in The Post.
The fact-check stated: “It showed that in fiscal year 2024, Biden was on pace to exceed the number of deportations of any single year under Trump. But the article did not say that deportations under Biden would be higher than they were under Trump — far from it. Through four years, Biden almost certainly will have fewer deportations than Trump, according to the Reuters count.”
The deeper the publication dove into the numbers, the more Pelosi’s claim appeared “off course.”
Kamala Harris and the Presidential Race
Pelosi’s controversial remarks extended beyond border statistics. During the same interview, she speculated on Vice President Kamala Harris’s potential as a stronger candidate had President Biden exited the race earlier.
“Had the president gotten out sooner, there may have been other candidates in the race. Kamala, I think, still would have won, but she may have been stronger, having taken her case to the public sooner,” Pelosi told The Times.
Criticism from All Sides
The fallout from Pelosi’s statements has not been limited to fact-checking outlets. MSNBC host Symone Sanders Townsend openly criticized Pelosi’s involvement in President Biden’s political strategy, highlighting its perceived shortcomings.
“I’m going to say it if she ain’t going to say it — Nancy Pelosi, everybody talks about how the speaker emerita, you know, she’s so strategic, she can count, she did all of that when she was the speaker in Congress, but my question is: Where is your calculator now?” Townsend remarked.
The host further accused Pelosi of contributing to Biden’s political challenges, adding: “She played in presidential politics this cycle, and she helped orchestrate the very public demise of the president.”
