Pelosi Suggests That One-Third of Republicans Racist Homophobes

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested in a recent interview that roughly 30 percent of Republican voters may harbor racist, sexist, or homophobic views, even as her own Democratic Party focuses heavily on issues related to gender, race, and LGBTQ rights.

Her comment has drawn comparisons to Hillary Clinton’s infamous “basket of deplorables” remark from the 2016 election, where she criticized a portion of Donald Trump’s supporters.

“There are people who will never, shall we say, be inclined to support Democrats because they have a different outlook on women, people of color, LGBTQ — they’re just not ever going to be on board,” Pelosi said at a Texas Tribune festival, as reported by the New York Post, while discussing the competitiveness of the 2024 presidential race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Pelosi went on to estimate, “So, say that’s about like 30% or something like that … of the Republicans.”

She also argued that many wealthy Americans back the Republican Party to avoid higher taxes and regulations, despite Democrats receiving significant financial backing from millionaires and billionaires, particularly in Pelosi’s home state of California.

“Then you have very, very rich people who don’t want to pay taxes or deal with regulations on clean air, clean water, any of that. So you have to factor that in. It’s not as many people, but it’s a lot of money that flows into campaigns,” Pelosi remarked.

The New York Post also noted that Harris has far outpaced Trump in fundraising, with her campaign raising $361 million in August compared to Trump’s $130 million.

Nevertheless, Pelosi urged her party to remain “respectful” toward their political rivals.

“We have to be as respectful and understanding as possible,” she advised. “Some people have fears — they’re worried about globalization, they’ve seen factories move overseas. They’re fearful of innovation.”

Pelosi’s remarks echo past statements by Democratic leaders that have caused controversy. During the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton faced backlash after saying, “You can put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call a basket of deplorables — they’re racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic, you name it.”

Similarly, Barack Obama, during his first presidential run, described a segment of voters in the Midwest as “bitter,” claiming, “They cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment to explain their frustrations.”

Mitt Romney, the GOP’s 2012 presidential nominee, also stirred controversy with remarks made during a fundraiser that was secretly recorded. He said, “There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president [Obama] no matter what … who are dependent on government, who believe they are victims. … My job is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility.”

Meanwhile, new polling data from Wisconsin, a critical swing state, may concern Democrats. A study by Emerson College and The Hill shows Trump narrowly leading Harris with 50 percent of the vote compared to her 49 percent — a margin that, while slim, could indicate troubling trends for the Democratic Party, according to reports.