I’ve long been a fan of Nancy Pelosi. I mean, I’m a progressive—how could I not be? But, here’s the thing: I think it’s time for her to go.

Yep, it’s time for Nancy to say goodbye to Congress. And while we’re at it, Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), you too. Don’t get me wrong, I respect what they’ve all done for the party, but the last few days have made it crystal clear to me that Nancy is playing the blame game—and, honestly, it’s a bad look.

We need new, younger leadership in the DNC. And let me tell you why.

First of all, let’s talk about the so-called “Trump landslide” everyone’s been buzzing about. Here’s the kicker: the data shows that Trump performed about the same as he did in 2020, he actually performed slightly worse. That’s right— he’s received fewer votes in this election than he did in 2020. So, where did all the votes go? Turns out, Democrats didn’t turn out in full force. 

Democrats underperformed

To put it bluntly, Democrats underperformed by nearly 11 million votes. In 2020, Dems raked in 81 million votes; this time around, it was just 70 million.

Now, I’m not saying the Republicans are expanding their base—they’re not—but the DNC absolutely failed at mobilizing the vote. 

And that, my friends, is where Pelosi comes in. She had one job: turn out the vote. It should’ve been a slam dunk. With women’s reproductive rights on the line, the economy doing better than ever, and new Supreme Court justices hanging in the balance, all the ingredients for a Democratic victory were there.

Plus, let’s not forget who the DNC was running against—a convicted felon, labeled a sex offender by the courts, and known for, well, basically being a walking disaster. 

Nancy Pelosi blamed Joe Biden

But the raw data suggests that Democrats just didn’t show up. And here’s where I really start to lose faith in Pelosi: Instead of taking responsibility, she started blaming Joe Biden.

That’s where I draw the line. I was shocked to hear her suggest that maybe Joe should’ve stepped aside earlier. A year ago, she was practically singing his praises, saying, “I hope he will run again!” Now, she’s flipping the script like it’s nothing. It’s not just a bad look—it’s a leadership failure. 

Last November, Nancy Pelosi could’ve used her influence to encourage Joe to step aside for fresh leadership. Instead, she chose not to. That’s a missed opportunity, and it breaks the cardinal rule of leadership: When things go wrong, you own it. When things go right, you give credit to those around you.

But here, Nancy seems more interested in playing the blame game than stepping up and taking responsibility. And that’s where I start to believe it’s time for her to step aside.

Trump didn’t win, the Democrats lost

Look, Kamala Harris ran a great campaign—clean, fun, full of swagger and style. But blaming Joe Biden for the loss cheapens the entire DNC effort. It undermines everything the party stood for in this election. I’m not saying Biden could’ve beaten Trump this time around—I’m not convinced he would’ve—but we do know that his turnout in 2020 was much stronger. 

If Nancy were to gracefully step aside and pass the torch to new leadership, guiding them to avoid the mistakes of the past, that would show true ownership. That’s what leadership looks like to me. But instead, I heard a leader I respect deflecting responsibility and pointing fingers. That’s not the kind of leadership we need right now. 

Let’s call it what it is: the Democrats beat themselves. We failed to turn out the vote, and that’s on us. Trump and the RNC didn’t win because they were so brilliant—they won because we didn’t do our job. Nancy, bless her, should’ve known better. And that’s why I think it’s time for her to step down. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a Nancy fan. But two things can be true at once. I can respect her, but still believe it’s time for her to retire. And here’s the thing: I don’t think anyone in the DNC is solely to blame for this loss. Trump managed to get just enough of his base to show up. But that’s a lot easier to do when your opposition is mired in internal chaos, giving Trump all the limelight he needs.

In the end, we lost this one because we failed to show up. And Nancy, as much as I admire you, it’s time to pass the baton to someone who can reignite the flame. The party deserves fresh, innovative leadership—leadership that can inspire the base to turn out and win. Let’s move on from the blame game and focus on the future. 

So, here’s my message: Bye, Nancy Pelosi. It’s time for a new era. And I think we all know it.

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Dr. Bridgeforth enjoys writing as a political columnist who is a passionate advocate for justice and equality whose academic journey reflects a profound commitment to these ideals. With a bachelor’s...

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