Nancy Pelosi can be a polarizing figure, representing, for some, far-left politics and entrenched Democratic leadership. Her San Francisco district is upscale, urban and liberal. In short, it’s the epicenter of the California left coast. Yet every once in a while, the 82-year-old speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, brings out the Baltimore in her. We saw it recently when a video was released showing her on Jan. 6, the day of the mob attack on the U.S. Capitol. In it, she says she hopes President Donald Trump shows up so she can “punch him out.”
Social media was quick to call it: That was “the Baltimore coming out” in this 5-foot 5-inch-tall woman of a certain age. To reach that conclusion, posters understood two things. First, that the nation’s first female House speaker is a daughter of Baltimore, not just born and raised here but descended from one of its most prominent political families as the child of former Mayor Thomas D’Alesandro Jr. and the sister to former Mayor Thomas D’Alesandro III. And second, Baltimore women, as a general rule, do not abide crap — and if the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection has taught the country anything, it’s that a whole lot of it spewed from Trump before, during and after that day.
Please take a moment and watch the video, which was, appropriately enough, taken by her documentary filmmaker daughter. Much of what you will see is Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer calling for military and police aid to protect the occupants of the Capitol. They are clearly angry but also organized and clear-thinking under pressure, reaching out not only to the U.S. Defense secretary but to others, including Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, whom they want to dispatch the National Guard (which, spoiler alert, the Republican governor eventually does along with hundreds of state troopers). Perhaps this was all edited to cast Democratic leaders in a favorable light. But even so, how unguarded and incredibly human Nancy Pelosi comes across at this historic moment. She follows the promise of a punch with a spontaneous explainer: “This is my moment. I’ve been waiting for this. For trespassing on the Capitol grounds. I want to punch him out, and I’m going to go to jail, and I’m going to be happy.”
We don’t condone violence, of course. And we seriously doubt that the speaker has ever come close to punching anyone (at least surely not since her high school days at the Institute of Notre Dame). But strong women? That’s definitely a Baltimore thing. We see it in centuries of such accomplished daughters as former U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski and jazz legend Billie Holiday to suffragist Augusta T. Chissell and beyond. And we add that boxing skills aren’t exactly unknown in Charm City either. Any list of legendary pugilists would include fellow Italian Americans like Clem Florio and Joe Dundee, not to mention the non-Italian variety like Joe Gans, the first African American world champion who is often recalled as the greatest lightweight boxer of all time.
Of course, this intriguing video insight to what was happening behind the scenes on that infamous day probably won’t sway a lot of opinions. Pelosi will continue to be a polarizing figure. Even now in Maryland’s 1st District, the incumbent Republican, U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, posts yard signs pledging to “fight” her. Can we at least agree that what she displayed that day was a one-two punch of strength and sincerity that we can proudly accept as a Baltimore calling card? It’s all very well for the city to be known for crabs and the Inner Harbor, for Under Armour and Johns Hopkins University, and even its professional sports teams (although side note to the Ravens: You’re killing us). But tough women who won’t be abused by willful lawbreakers? We’ll add that reputation happily.
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