#DontMessWithNancy

#DontMessWithNancy

Pelosi’s viral clash with reporter inspires trending hashtag, backlash — and merchandise

At the end of a heated exchange with a reporter Thursday morning, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) stared pointedly at the man who had asked her if she hates President Trump and uttered four words: “Don’t mess with me.”

Within minutes, the contentious moment — initiated by a question from Sinclair Broadcast Group reporter James Rosen — blew up social media. Soon, Pelosi’s terse declaration had inspired a trending hashtag, “#DontMessWithNancy.” Videos of her response racked up millions of views as many, including late-night comedians, reveled in what has been described as “a righteous smackdown.” By Thursday night, Pelosi’s team had also capitalized on the buzz, releasing a sweatshirt (yours for $39) featuring the biting message.

Much like Pelosi’s past brushes with viral fame, it didn’t take long for the Thursday moment to spark an intense debate over interpretations of the Democratic leader’s actions. In the eyes of her supporters, Pelosi had just delivered a powerful rebuke of a reporter whose question reflected a common GOP attack meant to cast doubt on Democrats’ intentions for pursuing impeachment. But for critics, the outburst was another example of Pelosi coming “unhinged,” or as Trump himself put it, having “a nervous fit.”

In a tweet, Rosen defended his decision to ask the “simple, if pointed, question,” writing that Pelosi “erupted in fury.” Late Thursday, Sinclair Broadcast Group also issued a statement maintaining that “there was no disrespect meant to the Speaker by this question.”

“We have reviewed the incident and based on the video, this was clearly not meant to be an inflammatory question, and, further, this gave Speaker Pelosi the opportunity to clarify her own views, something that only strengthens positive dialogue,” said spokesperson Ronn Torossian, according to CNN’s Oliver Darcy.

Pelosi, however, did not take kindly to the question.

The 79-year-old was on her way out of the news conference when Rosen shouted, “Do you hate the president, Madam Speaker?”

Instead of ignoring Rosen, Pelosi immediately spun around and launched into “an extraordinary rebuttal” of a reporter she once referred to as “Mr. Republican Talking Points,” The Washington Post’s Felicia Sonmez reported.

“I don’t hate anybody,” Pelosi shot back, at times punctuating her remarks with scornful finger-wagging. She later added, “As a Catholic, I resent your using the word ‘hate’ in a sentence that addresses me. I don’t hate anyone. I was raised in a way that is a heart full of love, and always pray for the president, and I still pray for the president. I pray for the president all the time. So, don’t mess with me when it comes to words like that.”

Pelosi’s scorching response left CBS host James Corden in shock.

“Her microphone was attached to a podium, but honestly, I wouldn’t have been surprised if she just picked up the entire podium and was like, ‘Don’t mess with me,’" Corden said, mimicking an emphatic mic drop.

Stephen Colbert also seized on the viral exchange, using it as inspiration for his CBS show’s cold open — an impeachment-themed song that includes the lyrics, “Speaker of the House is Nancy Pelosi. She’s as pant-suited as they come. If you violate the Constitution, she’s not a grandma you wanna cross.”

Colbert, who is also Catholic, later praised Pelosi’s comments as “well said” during his opening monologue.

“We Catholics don’t hate anyone, okay. We are not allowed to,” Colbert said. “That’s why we waged 11 crusades to remind those people how much we loved them."

He continued: “The Inquisition was just a tickle fight that got out of control.”

The host went on to express concern for Rosen.

“Nancy Pelosi prays for the president and I pray for that reporter,” he said.

Social media was equally rife with commentary Thursday — marking the latest instance that the Internet has lost its mind over Pelosi’s defiant behavior. There was the red coat in December 2018, which was followed by her infamous State of the Union clap in February. More recently, she went viral after a photo showed her standing, largely surrounded by men, and pointing at a seated Trump.

Allyson Chiu | 10 hours ago | The Washington Post