Nancy Pelosi, the former House Speaker, sparked controversy when she implied that some pro-Palestinian protesters are working with Russia and asked the FBI to look into their financing.
Her comments were met with outrage by pro-Palestinian activists, civil rights groups, and social media users, who accused her of smearing and silencing dissenting voices.
Pelosi made the remarks on Sunday, during an interview with CNN’s State of the Union. She was asked if she was concerned that younger voters would abandon President Joe Biden due to his resistance to a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. She said that she supported Biden’s efforts to end the violence, but added that some of the protesters calling for a ceasefire were “connected to Russia”.
“We have to think about what we’re doing, and what we have to do is try to stop the suffering in Gaza … but for them to call for a ceasefire is Mr. Putin’s message,” she said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Make no mistake, this is directly connected to what he would like to see.”
She continued with,
“I think … some of these protesters are spontaneous and organic and sincere. Some, I think, are connected to Russia. And I say that having looked at this for a long time now, as you know.”
When pressed by the host if she thought some pro-Palestinian protesters were Russian plants, Pelosi said,
“I don’t think they’re plants. I think some financing should be investigated, and I want to ask the FBI to investigate that.”
Nancy Pelosi’s comments came as pro-Palestinian protesters have been disrupting Biden’s events and Pelosi’s own recent event in Seattle, demanding an end to the US support for Israel and its attacks on Gaza.
The protests have been part of a global wave of solidarity with the Palestinian people, who have been suffering under Israeli occupation and blockade for decades. Israel’s relentless bombardment of Gaza has killed more than 27,000 people, mostly civilians, and injured over 100,000, since October 7, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
The UN has warned of a humanitarian catastrophe, as Gaza faces shortages of water, electricity, medicine, and food. Israel’s closest ally, the US, has repeatedly blocked UN Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire and has approved a $735 million arms sale to Israel.
Pelosi’s comments triggered a swift backlash from a lot of people who denounced her for spreading conspiracy theories and trying to criminalize dissent. They also pointed out the irony and hypocrisy of her accusations, given her own history of opposing wars and supporting human rights.
The executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Nihad Awad, called Pelosi’s claim “delusional” and her call for an FBI investigation “downright authoritarian”. He said in a statement,
“Sadly, Rep. Pelosi’s comments echo a time in our nation when opponents of the Vietnam War were accused of being communist sympathizers and subjected to FBI harassment. Instead of baselessly smearing those Americans as Russian collaborators, former House Speaker Pelosi and other political leaders should respect the will of the American people by calling for an end to the Netanyahu government’s genocidal war on the people of Gaza.”
Nancy Pelosi has not responded to the criticism or clarified her comments. However, her spokesperson told CNN that the former speaker “has always supported and defended the right of all Americans to make their views known through peaceful protest” and that she was “acutely aware of how foreign adversaries meddle in American politics to sow division and impact our elections”.
