Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) made a Freudian slip on Monday when she referred to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as “president” before catching her error.
Pelosi, 83, made the mistake during an event at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and tried to recover by saying that she has “hope” Clinton — who unexpectedly lost to Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election — may run for high office again.
“Let’s start with this little matter of democracy, because I think you and I believe that it’s not just in our country — but that’s where we see it most clearly — there is a concerted effort to undermine some of the very foundations of democratic governance, of a democratic society,” Clinton said.
“There’s research, some of it done by SIPA in this university, showing that half the world’s democracies are backsliding, and that includes, sadly, the United States.
“So, what do you, Nancy, view as the biggest threats and challenges facing our democracy and what are the opportunities to try to stop that backsliding and turn it around?” Clinton asked.
“Well, I appreciate that question, but I also appreciate your leadership in this regard when president,” said Pelosi, before placing her hand on her chest and correcting herself.
“I hope,” she added, implying that Clinton could make a third run for the White House.
“When Secretary Clinton was in the Senate and first lady, but especially as Secretary of State in more recent time — she has been, and at that time implemented, many things showing America’s support for democracy,” Pelosi went on.
Pelosi then leaned into since-debunked allegations about collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying the Kremlin interfered in the race because it “feared” Clinton.
“Interference in our democracy by Vladimir Putin — because Hillary Clinton was the person he feared most in terms of his lack of democracy in Russia,” the longtime House speaker said.
“That’s, I think, self-evident, so thank you for what you have done,” Pelosi added.
Russia engaged in a foreign influence campaign on social media during the 2016 election, but the Kremlin’s influence was negligible, according to a study published in January by Nature.
A two-year probe by special counsel Robert Mueller that wrapped up in 2019 also found no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in 2016.
Clinton, who as head of the State Department presided over the failed US response to a 2012 terror attack that killed four diplomats in Benghazi, Libya, will be teaching a class at Columbia this fall on foreign policy.