Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she expects Democrats to win back the U.S. House in the 2026 midterms and voiced confidence that Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries would be the next speaker, in remarks made during an interview on ABC News’ “This Week.”
Nancy Pelosi, the California Democrat who served as House speaker and was the first woman to hold the job, appeared on ABC News’ “This Week” with Jonathan Karl for an interview that aired Sunday, December 28, 2025.
In the interview, Pelosi said she was confident Democrats would regain control of the House in the 2026 midterm elections. When Karl began a question with, “So, if the Democrats win the House back—,” Pelosi interrupted to correct the premise: “No, no—when. When the Democrats win the House back, because we will.”
Pelosi also praised House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York as prepared to lead the chamber if Democrats return to the majority. “Hakeem Jeffries is ready, he’s eloquent, he’s respected by the members, he is a unifier,” Pelosi said.
Asked what advice she would give the next Democratic speaker for dealing with President Donald Trump, Pelosi said: “Be yourself. Just do your own thing, just be yourself.”
Karl also raised whether Democrats, if they retake the House, would prioritize investigations or impeachment-related efforts, or try to negotiate legislation with the White House. Pelosi argued that reaching agreements could be difficult, saying it would be “hard to come up with something that [Trump] will sign because of the problem that he is,” and suggesting Trump would likely “hold up” proposals Democrats viewed as useful.
In recent weeks, Jeffries has faced pointed questioning during interviews about shutdown negotiations. In an October 29, 2025 exchange on CNN, anchor Kaitlan Collins asked Jeffries who initiated a call after he said Speaker Mike Johnson was not willing to have a conversation; Jeffries responded that Johnson had called him, while emphasizing the discussion was brief and not substantive.
Separately, Jeffries has criticized Dr. Mehmet Oz—who was confirmed by the Senate in April 2025 to serve as administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services—as “woefully unqualified,” a characterization that drew pushback from some conservative commentators citing Oz’s medical training and surgical career.
Pelosi’s comments on “This Week” reflected the party’s broader focus on 2026, when Democrats would need only a small net gain to reclaim the House majority.
