NBC reporter Luke Russert upset House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi earlier this week on Wednesday. Pelosi was making an announcement about her goal to remain as the majority leader in the House when Russert asked if her choice to remain in the position was blocking younger members of the House who wanted to move up in the party.
“Some of your colleagues privately say that your decision to stay on prohibits the party from having a younger leadership and hurts the party in the long term,” he said. “What’s your response?”
“Age discrimination!” some of Pelosi’s colleagues shouted. “Boo!”
“Next!” Pelosi said, before saying, “Oh, you’ve always asked that question, except to Mitch McConnell!”
Russert continued, “No, excuse me,” he said. “You, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Clyburn, you’re all over 70. Is your decision to stay on prohibiting younger members from moving forward?”
“Let’s for a moment honor it as a legitimate question, although it’s quite offensive,” Pelosi said in response to Russert. “You don’t realize that, I guess.” Pelosi also said that she was not concerned about what Russert asked and said, “the answer is no.”
Russert took to Twitter to defend himself and his question, tweeting, “While Pelosi laughed off my Q as age-ist, many House Ds will privately gripe it hurts caucus that all 3 leaders are 70+.”
