‘Do you hate the president, Madam Speaker?’ the reporter asked, to which the House speaker responded ‘I don’t hate anyone’

This article is more than 9 months old

This article is more than 9 months old

The House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has flatly rejected a question from a reporter who asked her whether she “hates” Donald Trump, saying: “Don’t mess with me.”

Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress, was walking away from her podium to end her weekly press conference on Thursday when a reporter shouted a question about whether she hated the president.

“Do you hate the president, Madam Speaker?” the reporter asked.

Pelosi quickly turned on her heel to address the reporter directly, angrily telling him that she did not hate the president and that she resented being asked such a question.

“I don’t hate anyone,” Pelosi said, jabbing her finger at him and citing her Catholic upbringing. “I still pray for the president,” she added.

Pelosi threw a number of insults Trump’s way, calling the president a “coward” on gun violence, “cruel” on immigration and “in denial” about climate change. But she emphasized those were issues for the 2020 election, and she did not hate the president.

“This is about the constitution of the United States and the facts that lead to the president’s violation of the oath of office. And as a Catholic I resent your using the word hate in a sentence that addresses me.

“So don’t mess with me when it comes to words like that,” Pelosi told the reporter. And with that, she walked out.

The incident came two hours after she said Trump’s conduct and the constitution left the House no choice but to move forward with the impeachment process. Moments later, Trump and House Republicans lashed out in heated personal tones.

Trump tweeted that Pelosi “just had a nervous fit” and added: “She says she ‘prays for the President.’ I don’t believe her, not even close.” The House Republican leader, Kevin McCarthy, tweeted “Pelosi and the Democrats are clearly are blinded by their hate for the President.”

Pelosi has generally dominated confrontations with Trump all year in her second turn as House speaker. Now, she is leading an impeachment inquiry over Trump’s political pressure campaign on Ukraine – only the fourth presidential impeachment proceedings in history.

“The president’s actions have seriously violated the constitution,” Pelosi said earlier from the speaker’s office at the Capitol. “He is trying to corrupt, once again, the election for his own benefit. The president has engaged in abuse of power, undermining our national security and jeopardizing the integrity of our elections.”

“Sadly, but with confidence and humility, with allegiance to our founders and a heart full of love for America, today I am asking our chairmen to proceed with articles of impeachment,” Pelosi said.