On November 19, 2025, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the only woman to have ever held the gavel, announced her decision not to seek re-election, capping off a congressional career that spanned nearly four decades. Her retirement, coming at age 85, has not only marked the end of an era in American politics but also reignited a national conversation about the age of political leaders and whether Congress should impose term limits.
Just days after Pelosi’s announcement, public discourse quickly turned to the question of longevity in office. On November 28, 2025, a public poll was launched, directly asking Americans: Should there be term limits for members of Congress? The timing was no accident. As reported by multiple outlets, the poll was motivated by Pelosi’s retirement, which itself had become a focal point for debates over generational change in Washington.
According to Fox News, Pelosi’s decision was “what everyone expected,” yet it still landed with the weight of history. Since first taking office in 1987, she has wielded immense influence, both over her fellow lawmakers and the national media. The opinion piece published on November 29, 2025, put it bluntly: “Pelosi has wielded great power over her members, and also great power over the national media.”
But it’s not just her legislative legacy that’s under the microscope. Financial disclosures have long been a source of scrutiny for members of Congress, and Pelosi is no exception. As Fox News highlighted, a New York Post analysis found that before she first entered Congress, Pelosi and her husband, Paul, reported between $610,000 and $785,000 in stocks. Fast-forward to 2025, and their portfolio is estimated at $133.7 million, according to Quiver Quantitative. That’s a staggering 16,930% increase. The article pointedly notes, “If there's a stellar achievement on Pelosi's résumé, it has to be how impressively she and her husband have enriched themselves while she was in 'public service.'”
This dramatic growth in wealth has fueled calls for greater transparency and accountability. The issue of stock trading by lawmakers is back on the congressional agenda, with renewed efforts to restrict such activities. Yet, as the opinion piece observes, Pelosi has quietly opposed these attempts. “Stock trading didn’t come up in 2022 in a George Stephanopoulos interview on ABC’s 'This Week,'” the article notes, highlighting how major media interviews often sidestepped tough questions on the issue.
Media coverage of Pelosi, especially in her later years, has been described by critics as excessively flattering. The Fox News opinion column details a series of interviews that, in its view, failed to hold Pelosi to account. For instance, during an appearance on CBS’s “Sunday Morning” in early 2024, the host introduced her as a “House Speaker Emerita that has a new book out, ‘The Art of Power’ — an art which Nancy Pelosi is something of a master.”
Pelosi herself did not shy away from grand statements. In a conversation with Lesley Stahl, she called President Joe Biden a “Mount Rushmore kind of president of the United States.” When pressed if she was serious in comparing Biden to Lincoln, Pelosi doubled down: “You got Teddy Roosevelt up there, and he’s wonderful. I don’t say take him down, but you can add Biden.” Stahl, in turn, offered her own praise: “If there were a Mount Rushmore for speakers of the House, Nancy Pelosi would certainly be up there, commemorating her 20 years as a commanding leader in Congress.”
For critics, this pattern of coverage is emblematic of a broader reluctance among major networks to challenge powerful figures. The Fox News piece asserts, “No one should expect these broadcast networks to live up to the expectation that they’re 'holding government accountable.' They have been easily brought to heel like they’re all Nancy Pelosi’s nervous caucus members.”
Yet, Pelosi’s defenders argue her influence has been hard-won and that her leadership has steered the Democratic Party through turbulent times. She was at the helm during the January 6 Capitol riot, an event that left a deep impression on her. As reported, Pelosi recounted the emotional toll: “The memory breaks your heart. It’s like somebody in the White House dropped a bomb on the Congress.” She also faced direct threats, with one rioter writing that he wanted to “shoot her in her freaking brain.”
Pelosi’s Catholic faith has often been cited as a source of resilience. On the anniversary of January 6, NBC’s Lester Holt remarked on her willingness to pray for her adversaries. Pelosi responded, “I always do,” but didn’t hesitate to critique the current Republican Party, saying it had “melted down into a cult.”
Her relationship with the media has been complex. While she’s received ample praise, she’s also known for forcefully pushing back against questions she doesn’t like. The Fox News article describes her as someone who “viciously attacks any reporter that asks her a question she doesn’t want to answer.” Still, the piece argues, “In recent years, the big networks have been putty in her hands.”
Pelosi’s retirement has not only triggered nostalgia and reflection but has also become a catalyst for broader debates about the future of American governance. The question of term limits—whether lawmakers should be allowed to serve indefinitely—has gained new urgency. As the polls launched in late November show, the American public is being asked to weigh in directly on this issue, with many seeing Pelosi’s long tenure as both a symbol of experience and a reason for change.
Supporters of term limits argue that fresh perspectives are needed in Congress and that extended careers can breed complacency or conflicts of interest. They point to the immense wealth accumulated by some longtime lawmakers as evidence that the system is ripe for reform. Opponents, however, warn that term limits could weaken institutional knowledge and hand more power to unelected staff or lobbyists.
Pelosi herself has not embraced the call for term limits, and her critics see her lengthy career as a case study in the benefits and pitfalls of congressional longevity. As she steps down, the nation is left to grapple with what her legacy means for the future—and whether the next generation of leaders will be subject to new rules.
As the dust settles, one thing is clear: Nancy Pelosi’s exit has not only closed a chapter in American political history but has also thrown open the doors to a renewed debate about power, accountability, and the very structure of Congress itself.
