House Speaker Emerita on Thursday unequivocally criticized the centrist group No Labels and its attempt to mount a third-party presidential bid.
“I firmly believe that No Labels poses a significant threat to our democracy. I state this without any hesitation,” she emphatically stated. “What they are doing is creating an illusion of non-partisanship and unity.”
Pelosi made these remarks during a breakfast meeting with reporters held by Third Way, a centrist Democratic organization that argues No Labels’ third-party initiative will result in another presidency.
“When they jeopardize President chances of reelection, I can no longer remain silent,” Pelosi declared.
No Labels has been making efforts to attract centrist candidates from both major parties for key positions across the country. The nonprofit organization’s leaders have hinted at the possibility of forming a combined ticket, where a Democrat and a Republican run together as presidential and vice-presidential candidates with the aim of uniting the nation.
Pelosi and Third Way President Jonathan Cowan are concerned that No Labels’ actual objective is to deprive the major-party candidates of sufficient electoral votes, preventing either one from securing the necessary 270 votes to win the presidency. In such a scenario, the House of Representatives would hold a vote to determine the winner, potentially leading to the emergence of a third-party candidate at the last moment.
In response to Pelosi’s comments against their group, former Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, No Labels’ national co-chair, issued a statement to CBS News, accusing Pelosi of attempting to score political points.
“She attributes positions to No Labels that we have never taken. She accuses us of causing chaos in the House, despite our 14 years of working towards bipartisanship and combating the extreme polarization that is destroying our country,” Hogan asserted. “Congressional leaders sometimes dislike it when No Labels challenges their partisan agendas and power, but we make no apologies for our actions. Someone must advocate for the common-sense majority, and we are proud to do so.”
A recent press release from No Labels referred to the Trump and Biden campaigns as “a house of cards” and stated that “an unprecedented number of voters seek an alternative” to these two candidates.
Pelosi argues that the perceived lack of support for President Biden is simply due to the fact that most Americans are not yet fully engaged with the presidential election.
“People are not paying close attention to politics right now,” she explained. “However, when they do start focusing, the message needs to be crystal clear. President Biden is busy working and getting the job done instead of campaigning all the time. Once he does campaign, I believe the situation will change.”
The former House speaker also expressed her disapproval of independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who initially ran as a Democrat and achieved a double-digit support of 22% in a recent hypothetical poll against Biden and Trump. When asked by CBS News if she would discourage Kennedy’s bid for the White House, Pelosi responded affirmatively.
“I do not support an individual who is an anti-vaxxer,” she clarified. “Take a look at his agenda.”
Cowan added that third-party candidates tend to perform well in polls when voters want to express their dissatisfaction with both major parties. However, when the actual elections take place, these same voters typically rally around a major-party candidate.
Pelosi also commented on the newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson. While she wished him success in his position, she portrayed him as a puppet under the influence of Trump.
“I extend my good wishes to him. I understand the role very well and know how challenging it can be,” she stated, expressing the hope that Republicans and Democrats in Congress could find common ground on issues such as aid to Israel and Ukraine.
When asked if an “election denier” could succeed as speaker, Pelosi responded, “The Republicans wanted Trump as speaker, and they got him.”
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