Khaberni - In an admission reflecting a "disappointment" accumulated towards the path of women's empowerment at the pinnacle of American power, Nancy Pelosi,
the former Speaker of the House, acknowledged that the election of a woman as President of the United States may not happen in her lifetime.
In an interview with "USA Today," coinciding with her approaching retirement after four decades in Congress, Pelosi, one of the most prominent American Democratic leaders, used a powerful symbolic expression to describe the barriers still facing women in politics, saying the problem "is not a glass ceiling but a marble ceiling," indicating barriers that are more solid and complex than previously thought.
Pelosi's statements, at the age of 85, came in the context of recalling the defeats of Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris against Donald Trump in the 2016 and 2024 elections, in addition to the institutional difficulties she personally faced while rising within the American legislative establishment.
She said she believed that the American public was more ready than Congress itself to accept the idea of a woman in the White House, adding that she had always thought that the United States would elect a female president before seeing a woman take the presidency of the House of Representatives.
However, according to Pelosi, reality has prompted a reassessment of this belief, as the newspaper quoted her saying that her optimism has become "more cautious," with her acknowledging that the election of a woman president "might not happen in her lifetime," especially as she approaches her eighty-sixth year.
Yet, she emphasized at the same time that this achievement would happen "probably in the next generation," reaffirming her belief that the path has not been completely closed.
Pelosi's vision coincides with positions expressed by former First Lady Michelle Obama, who also doubted, in statements made last November, the readiness of American society to elect a female president in the near future.
Obama observed that the United States "is not ready yet," noting that wide segments of men are still not accepting the idea of being led by a woman, which was clearly evident in the latest electoral experiences.
Despite this relative pessimism, Kamala Harris, the former Vice President, remains among the most prominent names considered within the Democratic Party for the 2028 elections, as she leads or occupies top positions in opinion polls.
A new presidential attempt?
Harris has also recently intensified her political activity by promoting her campaign memoirs and appearing at party events, in moves widely interpreted as laying the groundwork for a new presidential bid.
Pelosi is a pivotal figure in modern American political history, having joined Congress in 1988 representing San Francisco, and won a House membership 20 times consecutively.
She was the first woman to assume the presidency of the House of Representatives, a position she held in two terms between 2007 and 2011, and then from 2019 to 2023, which solidified her status as one of the most influential politicians in Washington.
In the same interview, Pelosi discussed her relationship with President Joe Biden, revealing that she had not communicated with him since he withdrew from the reelection race in 2024, a decision she said she played a role in convincing him of.
She expressed sadness over this cooling of relations, while at the same time respecting his political choice, and noting her appreciation for Biden's statement describing her as "the best Speaker of the House in the history of the United States" when she announced her retirement.
Regarding her decision to leave legislative life while in her mid-eighties, Pelosi said "the time has come," adding that she had been ready for some time. She concluded with a humorous tone her comment on a frequently asked question about what she will do after retirement, saying, "I don't have to do anything... I'm old," indicating her desire to close a remarkable political chapter without seeking new roles.
