ICYMI: Pelosi Talks Congressional Power, Reflects on Democracy at George Washington University
Washington D.C. – On Monday, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi visited The George Washington University for a wide-ranging discussion with former CNN journalist Frank Sesno on the state of American politics. Pelosi addressed current events, broader questions about whether the American dream is still possible, and how Congress can regain power from the executive branch.
Read full coverage below:
GW Today: Nancy Pelosi Reflects on Democracy, Leadership at GW’s Sesno Series
[By Lisa Conley-Kendzior, 4/16/26]
A full house packed Jack Morton Auditorium Tuesday night as Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi visited the George Washington University for the latest installment of the Sesno Series.
The event, titled “Power and Precedent,” brought together Pelosi, moderator Frank Sesno—professor and former director of the School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA) and executive director of the GW Alliance for a Sustainable Future—and a panel of experts to explore Pelosi’s history-making career and the state of American democracy.
The Sesno Series, funded by GW alumni Ted Segal, B.A. ’03 and Meredith Perla Segal, B.Accy. ’05, was broadcast nationally on C-SPAN.
“What does it mean to be an American today—and what will it mean tomorrow?” Sesno asked at the start of the event.
In a video compiled from his class—The Art of the Interview—SMPA GW students reflected on that question, describing a mix of uncertainty, frustration and cautious optimism. Their responses pointed to opportunity, community and accountability, while also acknowledging deep concern about the country’s direction.
The discussion that followed expanded on those themes.
The panel featured Jesse J. Holland, SMPA associate director and associate professor of media and public affairs; Douglas Brinkley, a renowned presidential historian; and Sarah A. Binder, a professor of political science at CCAS.
Brinkley pointed to historical cycles of division and resilience, encouraging students to remain engaged despite uncertainty.
“We have to believe that our own times are not uniquely oppressive,” he said.
Binder focused on the evolution of Congress and the challenges of governing in an era of polarization, while Holland emphasized the role of the press in a healthy democracy.
“We can’t survive as a democracy without it,” he said, describing the press as a critical watchdog holding government accountable.
After the panel, Pelosi—who’s served nearly four decades in Congress and twice as speaker of the House—kept the focus on the Constitution and the responsibilities of those in government to uphold it.
“We just have to honor the Constitution,” she said in a one-on-one discussion with Sesno. “We have to honor the oath that we take to protect and defend the Constitution…with three co-equal branches of government.”
She also emphasized the role of the House of Representatives as “the people’s house,” underscoring its responsibility to remain responsive to the public.
At several points, Pelosi connected national political debates to everyday life, urging students to consider how policy decisions affect individuals and families.
“To save our democracy…talk about what it means at the kitchen table,” she said. “What does it mean to America’s working families?”
Students remained central to the conversation throughout the evening, posing questions on topics ranging from legislative compromise to ethics in government and the long-term health of democratic institutions.
Reflecting on her time in leadership, Pelosi described compromise as an essential part of governing.
“Compromise is not a bad word,” she said. “If you have a task, you have to have a plan, and you have to act if you’re going to be a leader.”
The conversation also touched on declining public trust in Congress. When the audience was asked who had faith in the current Congress, no hands were raised. Pelosi acknowledged the concern but offered a broader perspective on the institution.
“Congress has always been a subject of mockery,” she said, noting that public perceptions of the institution often differ from views of individual members.
As the evening concluded, Pelosi pointed to the responsibility of the current generation to carry that work forward.
“The times have found us,” she said, echoing the words of revolutionary thinker Thomas Paine. “Know your power, and be ready to make the fight.”
The GW Hatchet: Rep. Nancy Pelosi talks Congressional power in the Trump era at SMPA event
[By Paris Albrecht, 4/16/26]
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) discussed the devolution of Congressional power during President Donald Trump’s administration and her confidence in the Democratic Party as midterm elections approach in the Jack Morton Auditorium Monday.
Pelosi, who was first elected to Congress in 1987 and served as speaker of the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023, said there has been a “total abdication” of Congressional power by Republican leadership to Trump, saying the founders of the country put in place guardrails like impeachment to deal with “rogue” presidents, but did not anticipate a Congress that lets presidential power go unchecked. Frank Sesno, a professor in the School of Media & Public Affairs, moderated the conversation — entitled “Power and Precedent” — as part of the Sesno Series, a guest-speaker series featuring conversations surrounding civil discourse.
“They could foresee a rogue president,” Pelosi said of the nation’s founders. “They could not see at the same time, a rogue president and rogue, cowardly Senate not to honor the fact that the president violated the Constitution.”
The event kicked off with an expert panel discussion featuring historian Douglas Brinkley, SMPA Associate Director Jesse Holland and Professor of Political Science Sarah Binder, where they discussed the balance of power and the effective function of the American government.
Sesno began the conversation with Pelosi by asking her questions about current news dominating headlines, like Trump’s Truth Social post calling Pope Leo XIV “weak on crime.” Pelosi, who identifies as Catholic, said Trump’s criticism of the Pope was “inappropriate” and worthy of a “diagnosis.”
Pelosi called Trump a “master distractor,” adding that his vision for the country strays from the original outlook of America’s founding fathers — a vision she said is based on “charity” and “faith” in democracy.
“Our founders believed in the goodness of the American people, and that’s why they thought a democracy could thrive,” Pelosi said.
Pelosi said the Trump administration has continued to undermine the Constitution, changing the political landscape of Congress by making it more polarized. She said the nation’s founders intended the House to be the “people’s house” in Congress, not a body subservient to the president, adding that the current speaker of the house, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), just follows the president’s agenda without regard for the American people.
“We are all concerned about what’s happening to the Constitution, what’s happening to rule of law, due process, freedom of the press and separation of power,” Pelosi said. “We’re all concerned about that because that’s a violation of the Constitution.”
Pelosi said it is “absolute fact” that Democrats are going to win the House in the upcoming midterm elections because American voters are concerned about violations to the Constitution and the rule of law under the Trump administration. She added that she wants to see the party win by 30 or 40 seats — Republicans currently have a four-seat majority in the House — and the party will do that by campaigning in moderate Districts and communicating to voters how the Trump administration’s policies are impacting them.
“You can’t save the democracy by going to the polls and talking about what they’re doing,” Pelosi said. “You have to save the democracy at the kitchen table,” Pelosi said.
Pelosi also answered pre-recorded questions from students in Sesno’s class, including one from Ann Duan, a senior majoring in journalism and mass communications, who asked Pelosi why young people should invest in America given that most young adults believe the American dream is no longer attainable.
Pelosi said the American dream must be restored through a non-partisan method by prioritizing the public’s needs. She added that the increased cost of living, from factors like student loans, healthcare and housing, prevents young individuals from achieving their dreams.
Pelosi said young people have to mobilize in order to sway public sentiment — which she said sparks change, adding that as the future looms, it is the young adult population that is responsible for changing it.
“We hear all these things, gun violence prevention, issues that relate to climate and the rest, listening, listening to young people,” Pelosi said. “But you also have to make the public insist that things go in that way.”
Pelosi said America is worth saving, which can be done by bringing people together to listen to their needs and persisting in the belief of the American dream.
“Know your power, be ready for it and know that the future belongs to you,” Pelosi said.
Brinkley, Holland and Binder discussed what it means to be an American and what reasons young people have to have hope in the country amid rising political polarization. Brinkley said young people must remember that the current time is not “uniquely oppressive,” pointing to eras of slavery and women’s disenfranchisement to show the American dream is always possible even when times are difficult.
“You’re seeing people are feeling a lot of despair, but hope has to be there, because you can’t just wallow in despair,” Brinkley said. “So we have to get a fight on attitude and always care about the community and somebody else besides yourself.”
Binder said over the years, she has seen students in her own classes grapple with lower confidence in the economy, believing America is on the “wrong” track. She said in order to gain back some previous bipartisanship in Congress in an era of heightened polarization, lawmakers may need to have some more closed-door meetings to reduce the “noise” of partisanship when making deals.
“It’s not like we’re looking for the ideological middle,” Binder said. “We’re looking for something that both parties can get, something that they’re after.”
Holland disagreed with Binder, arguing that the power of the press is central to democracy and journalists need to be clued in to conversations on Capitol Hill. He said both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, though political rivals, both advocated for a free press to provide neutral information to the American people.
“Even though, sometimes, even as a journalist, I will say, we don’t always love what the media does, we still need that protection from the government through information that the media provides,” Holland said.