Nancy Pelosi criticizes progressive Democrats over their statements on Israel

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed over their views on Israel on Thursday, Fox News reported. Speaking on the On Brand podcast hosted by Donny Deutsch, Fox News said Pelosi called their positions wrong and stated that their statements do not reflect House Democrats. [1][4]

According to the New York Post, criticism against El-Sayed has also mounted within Michigan. The New York Post reported that Jason Turkish, a Jewish Democratic donor and fiancé of former Democratic Senate hopeful Haley Stevens, announced on Wednesday that he will vote for Republican Mike Rogers over El-Sayed in the Michigan Senate midterm election. [2][3]

The New York Post reported that Turkish cited El-Sayed's inflammatory rhetoric as the reason for his decision. He pointed specifically to El-Sayed refusing to clarify during a debate with Rogers whether Iran or Israel poses a larger threat to the United States. [3]

Pelosi previously served as the 52nd Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011 and from 2019 to 2023, representing California's 11th congressional district. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Pelosi declined to sign a letter alongside nearly 40 House Democrats that demanded an end to a federal investigation into Representative Ilhan Omar. [5][10]