Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said that former president Donald Trump exuded no bravado or confidence as he appeared in Washington DC for his arraignment on federal charges this week.
Ms Pelosi led the House of Representatives during both of Mr Trump’s impeachments, first for his attempt to condition aid to Ukraine on newly elected President Volodymyr Zelensky investigating Joe Biden’s son Hunter, and then in 2021 for his actions during the January 6 insurrection.
Mr Trump appeared at the E Barrett Prettyman Courthouse on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to four charges stemming from his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.
During his arraignment, Mr Trump appeared to stumble over his words when asked to state his full name and appeared rather sombre compared to his other arraignments in New York and Miami.
Ms Pelosi, who stepped aside from Democratic House leadership earlier this year after Republicans won the majority in the House of Representatives, told Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC that Mr Trump lacked the confidence and bravado usually associated with the ex-president.
“I wasn’t in the courtroom, of course, but when I saw Trump coming out of his car and this or that, I saw a scared puppy,” Ms Pelosi said on Friday. “He looked very, very, very concerned about the fate. I didn't see any bravado or confidence or anything like that. He knows the truth, that he lost the election and now he has to face the music.”
Ms Pelosi has largely avoided discussing the former president since he left office. During her farewell address as House speaker, she mentioned her work with former presidents George W Bush, a Republican, and Barack Obama, a Democrat, as well as President Joe Biden. But she did not mention Mr Trump.
When the indictment was unsealed on Tuesday, Ms Pelosi credited the work of the January 6 select committee that commenced under her speakership for leading to the indictment.
“Now, following the Justice Department’s further investigation, a federal grand jury has indicted the former President,” she said. “As this case proceeds through the courts, justice must be done according to the facts and the law.”
