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Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said she considers Donald Trump’s name a swear word and, because she is Catholic, refuses to say it.
Pelosi, a top Democrat from California, revealed her thoughts on saying the former president’s name and described him as “what’s-his-name” during an interview with The Guardian released Tuesday.
“I hardly ever say his name,” Pelosi said.
“I think [Trump is] a grotesque word…You just don’t like the word passing your lips,” she added. “I just don’t. I’m afraid, you know, when I grew up Catholic, as I am now, if you said a bad word, you could burn in hell if you didn’t have a chance to confess. So I don’t want to take any chances.”
“It’s up there with, like, swearing.”
Pelosi also admitted during the interview she still has not spoken to President Joe Biden since July, when widespread reports claimed she played a key role in pressuring him to leave the presidential race.
Despite these rumors, Pelosi claimed in August that she “did not call one person” and did not lead a pressure campaign against him.
Now, the powerful Democrat has told The Guardian she wanted to protect Biden’s legacy and the election outcome. Pelosi said she made a call for her party to “get on a better course.”
“I have the greatest respect for him. I think he’s one of the great consequential presidents of our country,” Pelosi said. “I think his legacy had to be protected. I didn’t see that happening in the course that it was on, the election was on. My call was just to: ‘Let’s get on a better course.’”
Pelosi also said she agrees with the recent comment from Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, who called Trump “fascist to the core.” Milley was appointed in 2019 by Trump.
“And I know it’s interesting because Kamala Harris says, ‘I’ve prosecuted people like Trump. I know men like that.’ No, I know him,” Pelosi told The Guardian.
“There’s one picture of me leaving the Roosevelt Room at the cabinet meeting. And I’m pointing to him and I’m saying, I’m leaving this meeting because with you, Mr. President, all roads lead to Putin,” she continued.
“[Milley’s] comment, ‘fascist to the core’, speaks to the actions that he has taken. Trivialize the press, fake news – that is a tactic of fascist governments.”
The Independent has contacted Trump’s campaign for comment.
