Former Speaker McCarthy Says Pelosi Would ‘Yell’ At GOP Members

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy offered a blistering assessment of Nancy Pelosi’s leadership style as the California Democrat prepares to retire after nearly four decades in Congress.

During an interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters, McCarthy argued that Pelosi frequently treated Republicans as if they were illegitimate participants in the legislative process rather than elected representatives entitled to a voice in government.

McCarthy was responding to a graphic titled “How Each Side Views the Other,” which claimed that conservatives often regard liberals as misguided “children,” while liberals view conservatives as dangerous “savages.”

“It is so true, and this is where they get the Trump syndrome,” McCarthy said, referring to what President Donald Trump calls “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

“It’s true of how they would treat us.”

“Nancy Pelosi really felt this about us. Like, we shouldn’t be in the room; she would yell at me sometimes,” McCarthy said.

“And then, they would put magnetometers to try to deny us from entering, and you couldn’t co-author with us,” he added.

Metal detectors were installed outside the House chamber following the events of Jan. 6, 2021, prompting fierce objections from Republicans who viewed the policy as an insulting restriction on elected members.

McCarthy said the broader problem was a political culture in which disagreement had turned into personal contempt.

“It was so outrageous that you couldn’t respect the other one, and this is the problem I have, where I think America has failed a little bit when it came to politics,” McCarthy continued.

“We should be able to disagree with somebody without being disrespectful.”

Referencing the graphic again, McCarthy said, “If you noticed in that, the Republicans respect the other side.”

“They just thought you were children. We had hope that they would grow up one day,” he continued.

“But they treated us and thought of us as monsters and murderers. How would you ever look to that person to be better?” he added.

Pelosi announced that she will leave Congress when her current term ends in January 2027. First elected in 1987, she became the first woman to serve as House speaker and held the position from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023.

Her confrontational style was also visible during a heated exchange with LindellTV reporter Alison Steinberg, who repeatedly questioned Pelosi over Capitol security failures surrounding Jan. 6.

STEINBERG: Last time I asked you about January 6, why you turned the National Guard away on January 6, you told me to shut up and that I was repeating Republican talking points.

PELOSI: And I’ll tell you to shut up again because you’re speaking lies, and I don’t have anything to do with it.

STEINBERG: You’re here, right here, on record saying, “I’ll admit it.”

PELOSI: No, I did not admit it. The president never sent– would agree to send the National Guard. Don’t waste your time or mine on you.

STEINBERG: Why was your daughter filming you on January 6?

PELOSI: Why don’t you get away?

PELOSI: You should record this. I want people to know that you’re not a real journalist. You work for Mike the pillow man, and all you do is spout untruths. Get away from me.

The exchange reflected the deep hostility that has defined Washington politics during much of Pelosi’s leadership.

Pelosi’s supporters will remember her as a disciplined vote counter who delivered major Democratic legislation. Conservatives will remember a powerful partisan leader who repeatedly portrayed Republican opposition as dangerous rather than legitimate.

McCarthy’s criticism points to a larger problem that will remain after Pelosi leaves office: A republic cannot function when political opponents are treated as enemies who have no right to participate.