U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., suggested that certain individuals demanding a Gaza cease-fire could have support from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Pelosi is shown chatting at The 92nd Street Y on Oct. 16, 2023, in New York.
Andy Kropa/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Andy Kropa/Invision/AP
U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., expressed her belief that a few of the protesters advocating for a Gaza cease-fire may have ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Pelosi is depicted in conversation at The 92nd Street Y on Oct. 16, 2023, in New York.
Andy Kropa/Invision/AP
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Sunday insinuated that some protesters urging a cease-fire in Gaza might be linked to Russia and called for the FBI to launch an investigation. During an interview with anchor Dana Bash on CNN’s State of the Union, the former House speaker stated, without offering evidence, that she thought some protesters are associated with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “For them to call for a cease-fire is Mr. Putin’s message,” she asserted. “Make no mistake, this is directly connected to what he would like to see. Same thing with Ukraine. It’s about Putin’s message. I think some of these protesters are spontaneous and organic and sincere. Some, I think, are connected to Russia. And I say that having looked at this for a long time now, as you know.”
Asked to elaborate on whether she suspected some anti-war protesters were planted, Pelosi stated: “I don’t think they’re plants. I think some financing should be investigated. And I want to ask the FBI to investigate that.” The congresswoman’s remarks were made in response to inquiries about whether she was worried about difficulties in organizing Democrats amid public outrage over President Biden’s backing of Israel in its conflict with Hamas in Gaza and his reluctance to call for a cease-fire. Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, Israeli military offensives have resulted in the deaths of over 26,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, with the majority being women and children, and about 85% of the territory’s population being displaced. Hamas militants killed approximately 1,200 people in Israel during the Oct. 7 attack and captured around 250 hostages, with about 100 still being held, as per Israeli officials.
“What we have to do is try to stop the suffering and gossip,” Pelosi urged. “This is women and children. People don’t have a place to go. So let’s address that.” The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim advocacy organization, condemned Pelosi’s comments as “unsubstantiated smears” that the group said echoes messaging meant to dehumanize Palestinian people. “We are deeply disturbed by Former House Speaker Pelosi’s comments,” CAIR’s national executive director Nihad Awad said in a statement. “Rep. Pelosi’s claim that some of the Americans protesting for a Gaza ceasefire are working with Vladmir Putin sounds delusional and her call for the FBI to investigate those protesters without any evidence is downright authoritarian.”
In response to NPR’s request for comment, a spokesperson for Rep. Pelosi stood by her comments, adding that Pelosi has always supported the right of Americans to express their views through peaceful protest. “As Speaker Pelosi said on CNN, we have to focus on stopping the suffering in Gaza, and she will continue demanding that all hostages be freed now,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “Informed by three decades on the House Intelligence Committee, Speaker Pelosi is acutely aware of how foreign adversaries meddle in American politics to sow division and impact our elections, and she wants to see further investigation ahead of the 2024 election.”
