When Nancy Pelosi Sculpted Her Own Statue

Nancy Pelosi, a key and unmovable figure in American politics, has recently published her memoir, The Art of Power: My Story as America’s First Woman, with Simon & Schuster. This book aims to reinforce her image as an tireless fighter. It reflects on her decades in public life and feels like a final brushstroke on a portrait already full of praise. It is undeniable that Nancy Pelosi has made history: as the first woman to hold the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives, the leader of the Democratic Party multiple times, and a formidable opponent to Donald Trump. However, reading these memoirs raises a few questions. Behind the heartfelt tributes and carefully chosen anecdotes, doesn’t she quickly gloss over some of the more nuanced episodes of her career?

The book starts with her childhood memories in Baltimore, in a family deeply involved in politics. One might almost believe that Pelosi was destined to climb the power ladder from birth, a fate she assures us was a life of sacrifices. But this rhetoric of inevitability eventually comes off as a bit too convenient. After all, it’s hard to imagine Pelosi describing her career any other way than as that of a heroine determined to face every storm to serve her country. Yes, she has faced many challenges, and no one can deny her accomplishments, but the way she narrates her successes sometimes feels like a rewriting of history, where failures and compromises seem to have been carefully erased.

One of the most anticipated sections of the book is undoubtedly her account of major legislative battles. Pelosi recounts, for example, the passage of the Affordable Care Act, which she presents as a personal victory won through sheer force of will. This triumphalism almost becomes a signature of the book, somewhat overshadowing what the Affordable Care Act owes to President Obama… Similarly, her conflicts with Donald Trump are depicted in a rather black-and-white manner: Nancy, the intrepid resistor, facing an impulsive and unpredictable Donald. Of course, some moments will remain etched in collective memory, such as the widely shared social media image of her tearing up Trump’s State of the Union speech in 2020. Still, it’s disappointing that her narrative doesn’t go deeper, particularly in analyzing the internal tensions within her own party—between the right wing she represented and the progressive wing led by figures like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose more radical positions often frustrated her.

The theme of gender is also pervasive in these memoirs. Pelosi rightfully points out how difficult it was for a woman to assert herself in a political world dominated by men. The sexism she faced is undeniable, but again, the self-congratulation seems a bit overdone. Sure, she broke glass ceilings, but the book avoids a more fundamental question: what kind of leadership model did she really embody for women in politics? Pelosi’s style, marked by rigid pragmatism and meticulous calculations, which echoes Margaret Thatcher’s, did it really open the door for a new generation of female leaders, or did it merely consolidate the practices of the old world under a new face? The question remains unanswered, though the book prefers not to dwell on it.

As you read the final pages, one can’t help but smile at how Pelosi envisions the future. She still presents herself as a driving force, ready to guide America to new heights. However, at 84 years old, one might think it’s time to make room for other figures, perhaps less polarizing and more in tune with current challenges. But no, Pelosi seems determined to remain in the arena, and the idea that her memoirs might mark her farewell to politics is quickly dismissed. She ends on an almost bewildering note of optimism, urging younger generations to follow her example, as if her approach to power, shaped in another century, could still match the aspirations of contemporary America.

Ultimately, these memoirs are very much a reflection of their author: full of resilience, impactful, but far too controlled. The irony of this book lies in its purpose, which seems more focused on consolidating a legacy than exploring the nuances of reality. Pelosi comes across as the absolute master of her own narrative, controlling every word, every detail, much like she has long controlled the debates in Congress. A captivating read, undoubtedly, but also a stylistic exercise where self-criticism is left at the door.

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Romuald Sciora is the director of the IRIS Political and Geostrategic Observatory of the United States, where he is an associate researcher. A French-American essayist and political scientist, he is the author of numerous books, articles, and documentaries, and regularly appears in international media to comment on current affairs. He lives in New York.