Social media explodes in anger after Trump calls Pelosi “worst Speaker” ever
If only Donald Trump had an ounce of knowledge or sense of history, he wouldn’t post tweets like his latest insulting prediction about his chief Democratic antagonist House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
Nancy Pelosi will go down as the absolute worst Speaker of the House in U.S. history!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2020
Given Speaker Pelosi’s success in shepherding Trump’s impeachment through the House of Representatives, it’s simple to see why this president would hold that opinion.
However, that very fact — plus a bit of awareness of the scandals that plagued some of the people who have held the Speaker’s chair during the course of said U.S. history — makes Trump’s assertion laughable to most Democrats and the vast majority of intelligent Americans of any political persuasion.
Why else would #DennisHastert suddenly be trending on Twitter?
Hastert, an Illinois Republican politician representing that state’s 14th congressional district, served as the longest-serving GOP Speaker of the House in history during his tenure from 1999 until 2007. As a quick look at his Wikipedia entry could tell Trump, Hastert’s fate could presage the president’s own future and disabuse him of his notions about the relative quality of Pelosi’s time in the office.
“On May 28, 2015, Hastert was indicted on federal charges of structuring bank withdrawals to evade bank reporting requirements and making false statements to federal investigators. Federal prosecutors said that the funds withdrawn by Hastert were used as hush money to conceal past misconduct by Hastert.”
“In October 2015, Hastert entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors. Under the agreement, Hastert pleaded guilty to the structuring charge (a felony); the charge of making false statements was dropped.In court submissions filed in April 2016, federal prosecutors alleged that Hastert had molested at least four boys as young as 14 years of age during his time as a high school wrestling coach.”
“At a sentencing hearing, Hastert admitted that he had sexually abused boys whom he had coached. Referring to Hastert as a “serial child molester”, a federal judge imposed a sentence of 15 months in prison, two years’ supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Hastert was imprisoned in 2016 and was released 13 months later,” Wikipedia relates.
As the highest-ranking elected official in U.S. history to have served a prison sentence, Hastert is likely to see his title eclipsed if the nation ever manages to deliver to Trump the justice he truly deserves.
The replies to the president’s bitter tweet attacking Speaker Pelosi demonstrated that while Trump may have forgotten history, a lot of other people were ready to remind him of the Republican legacy of disgraced House Speakerships.
Pill-popping adulterer Newt Gingrich resigned as GOP House Speaker.
Pedophile GOP House Speaker Dennis Hastert went to jail.
DEM House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been spanking you regularly since she took the gavel, including the 2018 Blue Tsunami.
We think she's doing fine.
— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) January 11, 2020
In 1999, Hastert replaced Newt Gingrich as Speaker, who resigned due to marital infidelities.
Of course, Hastert wasn't the first choice to replace Gingrich. The first choice, Bob Livingston, was also forced to resign before taking the gavel, also due to marital infidelities.
— Pé Resists (@4everNeverTrump) January 11, 2020
Trump will go down as the most authoritarian, corrupt, and incompetent president in U.S. history. Please add to this updated list (see graphic). #GDS pic.twitter.com/pY75bqLIKL
— Jeffrey Guterman (@JeffreyGuterman) January 11, 2020
Why are you people bringing up #DennisHastert. This is Trump making the claim. You know the guy who backed pedophile Roy Moore. And himself has been accused at least 17 times of sexual assault. To Trump, Hastert is one of the good guys.
— jose lopez (@marauderjoe) January 11, 2020
.@GOP, come get your man. #DennisHastert raped boys and bribed them to stay quiet. #Newt was forced to step down. You might want to educate the #WhiteHouse. https://t.co/gtA0BBagPQ
— (((Jenius Pam))) (@fradmin) January 11, 2020
Way to go, now #DennisHastert is trending pic.twitter.com/lUnodlmOJ0
— #blackouttuesday (@MHallmark11) January 11, 2020
In which @realDonaldTrump, the man who described Jeffrey Epstein as "a lot of fun to be with," tells us that a pedophile is NOT the "worst" thing a person can be. #DennisHastert https://t.co/jsvwyyAQnB
— Clark Crimcops (@CCCriminalcops) January 11, 2020
All you guys responding to trump with #DennisHastert are assuming trump knows who that is?
— 2+2=5 (@sandrajcooper) January 11, 2020
You prefer pedophiles like @GOP speaker #DennisHastert, doncha, Don? pic.twitter.com/lOD5vqWkVG
— Deliberate (@Deeliberatrix) January 11, 2020
#Dennishastert #convicted #pedophile is #trending #blessings always for his #victims #raise #them #UP #unfurl their #minds & #emotions if needed #BirdsOfPrey https://t.co/InzQblTc96
— Rebecca J Williamson (@rebjefwill_j) January 11, 2020
Hopefully, Donald Trump will read the replies to his tweets and get a history lesson.
Whether it will change his opinion of Speaker Pelosi is doubtful, but unless Trump is removed from office due to Pelosi’s impeachment efforts — either through a fair Senate trial or at the ballot box if Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mcconnell (R-KY) gets the sham acquittal he is seeking to engineer by failing to call witnesses — some Democrats may be lowering their estimation of Pelosi’s performance as well.
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Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art.