On Election Night Tuesday, the PBS News Hour continued its cozy Democrat-coddling tradition of hosting Rep. Nancy Pelosi, just as it has since 2016, as proudly noted by co-anchor Amna Nawaz. Now known as Speaker Emerita and headed toward political retirement, Pelosi has been a guest on the News Hour six straight election nights, beginning in 2016, including both mid-term and presidential election years.
Co-anchor Nawaz engaged in something closer to a friendly chat than any kind of journalistic enterprise in PBS's latest Pelosi-Palooza, mouthing three versions of “you’re right” in response to bland statements from Pelosi during the latest interview.
Amna Nawaz: This election cycle has been compared to the midterms of 2006, when Democrats won back control of Congress and, in an historic first, elected Nancy Pelosi to be the first female speaker of the House. That was 20 years ago. Today, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi is in the final months of her political career. And like she's done every Election Night since 2016, Speaker Pelosi joins us now. Madam Speaker, welcome back. Thank you for continuing this tradition with us. I want to begin, of course, with your predictions. How big a majority do you think Democrats can win in the House tonight? And will you win control of the Senate?
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): Well, thank you, Amna, for the opportunity to share some thoughts with you once again on election night. One thing I will say, following up on your previous guests, be not afraid to voters. Just go out and vote. Hakeem Jeffries has worked very hard to do three things, one, to win the election, two, to protect the election, and, three, to show the people what will happen once we do. So, your vote is protected, go vote….
Nawaz: Always good to underscore that. You're absolutely right. What will you think will happen tonight now?
PBS's cozy liberal tradition continues: "Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi is in the final months of her political career. And like she's done every Election Night since 2016, Speaker Pelosi joins us now. Madam Speaker, welcome back. Thank you for continuing this tradition with us." https://t.co/vOEWh11NBI
— Clay Waters 🇮🇱 (@claywaters44) November 6, 2026
When Pelosi noted how many more Democratic women were in Congress since she arrived, Nawaz repeated her fulsome praise, before asking Pelosi if Haley Stevens endorsement of Rep. Mike Rogers in the Michigan Senate race would hurt Democrat Abdul El-Sayed.
Nawaz: We have certainly seen some big changes on that front. You're absolutely right.
Asked what it will be like when she’s watching election results as a retired politician:
Pelosi: I will also be teaching at Berkeley, and that's not about politics. That's about policy and training young leaders for the future.
Nawaz: It is not. You're right. And we do hope that you can come back and join us again some time very soon. We will have to leave it there for now. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, always a pleasure to speak with you. Thank you.
At least Pelosi had the self-control not to say a version of “Onward to Victory” as in her previous three interviews, as if PBS and the Democrats shared the goal of Democratic victories (which in fact they do).
From the November 5, 2024 News Hour:
Nawaz: Meanwhile, back here in the studio, we are now joined by a leader in modern politics who hardly needs an introduction. That's Speaker Emerita and California Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi. Madam Speaker, welcome back. Great to have you with us.
Pelosi: Wonderful to be with you. It's a tradition now. I think this is my fifth time on election night.
Geoff Bennett: That's right.
Amna Nawaz: We love having you back every time. Thanks for being a part of this. I know we want to talk about the White House, but I got to start with the House, that you know so well.
….
Nawaz: You did also mention January 6. And we have talked a lot about the possibility of political violence, about what to expect. Experts we talk to say it's really the time between Election Day and when the votes are certified or when the race is called, if that takes a few days, that they are most worried about. You have seen former President Trump has come out targeting you specifically as well. He had awful things to say about you at a rally even last night. Are you specifically worried about your own safety? And how do you look at the landscape of whether there could be some kind of violence if it takes time between Election Day and a call being made?
Bennett concluded by saying, “Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, thank you so much for joining us and furthering this tradition of having you join us tonight.”
Then-PBS News Hour anchor Judy Woodruff interviewed Pelosi on the four earlier Election Night occasions, and her questioning, while sympathetic to Pelosi, was hardball in comparison.
From the November 8, 2022 News Hour:
Woodruff: President Biden, his approval ratings, I know you know very well, are in the low 40s, on average, some -- in some places even lower. Has he been a drag for Democrats this year?
Woodruff also took mildly questioning stances in her Pelosi interviews in 2020, 2018, and 2016. Yet no matter the actual interview content, how is it appropriate for a public journalistic outlet to preen over a partisan political figure like Pelosi? PBS defines the liberal elitist media.
