Nancy Pelosi has once again resorted to the tired narrative of the #Russiagate conspiracy theory, a concoction born out of the disbelief following Hillary Clinton’s 2016 defeat by Donald Trump. Pelosi revived these baseless claims during an appearance with former White House Press Secretary turned MSNBC host Jen Psaki, where they speculated about Russian President Vladimir Putin holding compromising information on Trump.
In the MSNBC segment, Pelosi questioned Putin’s influence on Trump, stating, “What does he have on Donald Trump that he has to constantly be catering to Putin? Telling Putin to go into these countries, NATO countries.” Psaki, playing into the narrative, asked Pelosi about her thoughts on Putin’s hold over Trump, expressing concern about Trump’s refusal to criticize Putin and labeling him a “fanboy.”
Pelosi responded with a call to ensure Trump doesn’t set foot in the White House again, alleging that he has brought disgrace to the presidency. Despite being pressed by Psaki on her suspicions about Putin’s leverage, Pelosi vaguely suggested financial ties, claiming, “I think it’s probably financial. Either something financial he has him on or something on the come.”
The conversation between Pelosi and Psaki on MSNBC echoes the repetitive nature of the Russiagate narrative, even though the exhaustive Mueller Report in 2019 found no evidence linking Trump to the Russian state. Despite the lack of substance, the conspiracy theory is perpetuated, raising questions about the motivations behind recycling such narratives without factual basis.
