PoliticsDonald Trump Disses Nancy Pelosi at State of the Union
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi was in attendance as President Donald Trump dissed her.
Feb. 25 2026, Published 12:04 p.m. ET
President Donald Trump took a direct jab at Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) by name while advocating for a ban on congressional stock trading during his record-breaking one hour and 47-minute State of the Union speech on Tuesday, February 24.
While calling on Congress to pass the GOP-led Stop Insider Trading Act, the 79-year-old president noted bipartisan applause in the chamber and used the moment to single out the former Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Trump said there is a “gross disparity” between private sector and public sector workers saving for retirement.
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi Was Indeed in the Audience
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi reportedly stood up when the president mentioned her.
After observing members from both parties standing to applaud the proposed ban, the POTUS quipped, "Did Nancy Pelosi stand up — if she’s here? Doubt it.”
The remark targeted long-standing criticisms regarding the Pelosi family's financial disclosures and successful stock market activities.
Pelosi, who was in attendance and did reportedly stand during the remark, responded with sharp criticism after the speech.
Nancy Pelosi Served as First Female Speaker of the House
Nancy Pelosi has served as Speaker of the House twice.
The president was surprised to see Democrats applauding and pressed them to pass the Stop Insider Trading Act while insulting the 85-year-old Pelosi, who served as the first female Speaker of the House from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023.
The veteran congresswoman has been at the center of debates about lawmakers and their families trading stock.
Pelosi’s family portfolio has amassed millions upon millions in the stock market.
Since returning to office in January 2025, Trump and his family have significantly increased their wealth, with estimates of profits and increased net worth ranging from $1.4 billion to over $4 billion, driven largely by cryptocurrency ventures, international real estate deals and Trump Media.
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'You Do It Yourself! What About You?'
Donald Trump got called out for doing exactly what he claimed Nancy Pelosi did.
A Center for American Progress tracker estimated over $1.8 billion in cash and gifts, while other analyses point to a total net worth increase of up to $7.3 billion
“They stood up for that. I can’t believe. I can’t believe it. Did Nancy Pelosi stand up, if she was here? Doubt it. Pass the Stop Insider Trading Act without delay,” Trump said during his rambling address.
Several in the sparsely populated audience pushed back immediately during the speech. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) shouted, "You do it yourself!" and "What about you?" in reference to Trump's personal finances.
Trump added later, “I wasn’t sure even if anyone on that side would applaud. I’m very impressed. Thank you. I’m very impressed.”
'A Manifesto of Lies'
Then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi's ripping of President Donald Trump's first term SOTU has become iconic.
Pelosi, who has represented San Francisco in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1987, characterized the jab as a "deflection" from Trump's own financial dealings and emphasized that she has supported legislation banning congressional stock trading since 2022.
On her official Facebook page, she referenced Trump's 2020 SOTU, when she famously tore up his speech, saying that his latest address proved he remained a "manifesto of lies.”
In an interview with CNN, she dismissed the address as "lazy," arguing Trump spent too much time on empty rhetoric instead of addressing the actual "state of the nation.”
