Nancy Pelosi Says She ‘Can No Longer Remain Silent’ On No Labels 2024 Plans
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Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday called out the No Labels group over its plan to put forward a third-party “unity ticket” in the 2024 presidential race, warning it could hurt President Joe Biden’s reelection chance.
“I think that No Labels is perilous to our democracy,” Pelosi told reporters at a breakfast hosted by Third Way, a center-left think tank, according to multiplenewsreports. “I say that without any hesitation.”
She added that while the group claims to be bipartisan, the policies they keep on promoting are actually consistent with the GOP’s messaging.
“I hesitate to say No Labels because they do have labels,” she said, according to Politico. “They’re called no taxes for the rich. No child tax credit for children. They’re called let’s undo the Affordable Care Act.”
Former Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), a No Labels co-founder, took issue with Pelosi’s words, telling NPRand ABC News in a statement that what’s actually dangerous in a democracy is “when leaders try to tell Americans what they are allowed to think and when they try to prevent competition from participating in the political process.”
Third Way has previously taken issue with No Labels, claiming that their “radical new plan” would help former President Donald Trump win the contest.
Pelosi echoed this concern, saying that while she had tuned out attacks from No Labels during her time as speaker, she feels like she has a responsibility to speak up this time around.
“When they jeopardize the reelection of Joe Biden as president of the United States, I can no longer remain silent on that,” Pelosi said.
No Labels reportedly considered mounting a primary challenge to Pelosi in 2018.
In a memo dated Monday, No Labels described Biden and Trump, the front-runner in the Republican primary, as weak candidates, saying voters want an alternative.
“Both Joe Biden and Donald Trump have profound vulnerabilities that likely will not get better with time. Their respective campaigns are a house of cards that could be tipped over by a compelling independent alternative in 2024,” the memo reads.
The group also struck down the suggestion that they could help propel Trump to victory, saying that critics are “ignoring the simple fact that whoever ends up on a No Labels ticket would be the biggest determinant of where they would draw votes from.”
No Labels has so far not announced who would lead their ticket. Several names previously floated around include Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (R) and ex-Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R).
During the breakfast, Pelosi also weighed in on the election of Mike Johnson (R-La.) as the new House speaker.
According to CBS News, Pelosi said, “The Republicans wanted Trump as speaker, and they got him.”
