Nancy Pelosi’s Ice-Cold Move Toward Trump Goes Viral and Viewers Say He’ll Never Live Down the Humiliation
Nancy Pelosi just reminded the internet why she was never the type to take anyone’s nonsense, especially not from Donald Trump.
A video of the former House speaker ripping up a copy of Trump’s State of the Union speech has gone viral again, sparking laughs, applause, and a few jaw drops across social media. Dressed in a crisp white suit, Pelosi didn’t just make a fashion statement — she made a political one, one ripped page at a time.
The 2020 clip shows Pelosi calmly tearing her copy of Trump’s speech immediately after he finished, her gestures precise and deliberate as the chamber applauded politely — though some onlookers swore it was more for the spectacle than the speech itself.
Five years later, viewers are still talking about that moment.
A Threads user posted the video, reminding everyone that Pelosi had the guts to stand up to a sitting president without flinching. The timing, just before Trump’s acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial, made the move all the more dramatic.
The post read, “My favorite Nancy Pelosi moment.”
Other comments agree, with one user stating, “Best moment ever!!!! She’s the boss!!”
Another added, “The lady had true grit and guts!”
Some remembered the real political danger she faced at the time, “People literally wanted to put her in prison for that. Can you believe it?”
And of course, someone had to point out, “He thinks the applause is for him.”
It was clear: Pelosi’s defiance had struck a chord, entertaining the public while reminding them she could play the long game in politics.
Pelosi herself explained the gesture in a CNN interview four weeks ago.
“Speaking to the Congress of the United States, former head of the CIA and FBI James Comey was accused of lying to Congress,” she said. “There’s one point I want to make: there’s nobody who has lied more to Congress than Donald Trump. And that’s why I tore up his speech — because it was a manifesto of lies. I said that at the time. So, it’s almost cute that he’s accusing somebody else of lying to Congress.
When the journalist mentioned that Comey was under oath and the president was, she quipped, “Doesn’t matter. He’s the president of the United States, speaking to the Congress of the United States.”
Trump and his people, predictably, had something to say after it happened.
Republicans brushed off the move as a political tantrum, with Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh telling The Associated Press that Pelosi “might as well rip up any plans for attracting independent voters.”
The president, who carries the distinction of being the 45th and 47th president of the nation, spoke about the sheet-tearing to the press shortly after that.
“I thought it was very disrespectful to the chamber and the country,” he said, adding, “I didn’t know she did it until I was walking out and some of the congressmen and women were saying, ‘Can you believe what she did?’”
A similar Pelosi moment also grabbed attention this year, this one involving Maxine Waters.
During a Pelosi speech at the 9th Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles in June 2022, Waters’ deadpan facial expressions reportedly stole the show, leaving social media users laughing at her reactions rather than Pelosi’s words. One post noted the clip had been viewed over a million times, proving the public loves a little congressional drama with their politics and comedy.
Ultimately, Pelosi’s ripped pages are more than just a viral moment — they symbolize a willingness to call out falsehoods boldly and publicly.
Fans on social media celebrated her courage, framing the act as a defining example of standing up to power, even when cameras and critics are watching. In the end, whether you cheered, cringed, or laughed, Pelosi reminded viewers why she was — and still is — someone who doesn’t back down, leaving a mark that resonates years later.
