House Speaker Nancy Pelosi compared potentially impeaching Donald Trump on Wednesday to the War of Independence.

During a news conference, the California Democratic congresswoman emphasized that “this is a very sad time for the American people” as she discussed the official impeachment inquiry. She said it wasn’t “anything to be joyful about.”

Then she suggested the political climate was like that of the American Revolution: “As you have heard me say over and over again, ‘The dark days of the revolution,’ Thomas Paine said, ‘The times have found us.’ We think they have found us now.” (RELATED: Nancy Pelosi Felt A Lot Different About Impeachment When The President Was From Her Party)

Pelosi wavered on impeachment for months, but finally decided to proceed with an inquiry in late September. The House has not voted on that inquiry or impeachment in general. (RELATED: Pelosi Walks Out On Reporters, Refuses To Answer Questions On Major Impeachment Development)

“Not that we place ourselves in the category of greatness of our founders, but we place ourselves in a time of urgency on the threat to the Constitution, a system of checks and balances that is being made,” she said.

Pelosi further clarified her remarks by saying the common denominator between then and now was that it required a fight for democracy to win.

“They fought for Independence,” she continued, “they declared Independence, and they fought and won, and they established a democracy.”

Pelosi added that this whole ordeal “is hard.”

Previously, the Speaker has reportedly suggested that impeachment was too good for Trump, saying, “I don’t want to see him impeached, I want to see him in prison.”