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‘No Regrets’ After November Election • NC Newsline

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told North Carolina Democrats on Saturday that elections are “not about rewarding what you did,” but “what you do next.”

While Pelosi blasted former President Donald Trump — addressing him as “what’s his name” — and Republicans, she praised the state’s elected Democrats. And while she touted the party’s accomplishments in Washington, she urged them not to rest on their laurels come November.

“It’s about what comes next, and what comes next is very important for our country,” she said.

Pelosi’s comments at the annual Unity Dinner come as she and other top Democratic elected officials, donors and aides vie for the party’s presidential nomination.

She has reportedly told President Joe Biden that she doesn’t think he can win in November; she has supported an “open” nomination process in private discussions; and she has held conversations with vulnerable members of the House of Representatives who worry that Biden could hurt their chances of victory at the ballot box. She has not publicly called for Biden to step aside as the party’s nominee.

Pelosi, the first woman to lead the US House of Representatives, decided to step down as party leader in November 2022.

North Carolina Democrats watch a video with President Joe Biden during the party’s annual Unity Dinner in Raleigh on July 20, 2024. (Photo by Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline)

In her roughly half-hour speech, Pelosi mentioned the president’s name only sparingly, referring primarily to his role in setting legislative priorities.

She saved her most fervent praise for North Carolina Democrats, including gubernatorial candidate and Attorney General Josh Stein and Gov. Roy Cooper, both of whom also spoke.

Pelosi, on the other hand, sharply criticized Trump and his Republican Party allies and spent a lot of time on the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025” agenda.

“They don’t believe in science, they don’t believe in government, they don’t believe in justice,” Pelosi said. “They believe in this crazy plan.”

As she concluded her speech, the former speaker urged Democrats to mobilize across the state and spread the party’s message. She also outlined “three ‘no’s.”

“No wasted time, no underused resources, and no regrets the day after the election,” Pelosi said.

NC GOP says party ‘more united than ever’ after Democrats’ event

Biden has repeatedly said he wants to stay in the race. Currently sidelined in Delaware due to COVID-19, he said in a statement Friday night that he “looks forward to being back on the campaign trail next week.”

As the party’s top brass argues over Biden’s candidacy, his campaign continues to hold events in North Carolina.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks with North Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Anderson Clayton and other Democrats prior to the party’s annual Unity Dinner on July 20, 2024, in Raleigh. (Photo by Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline)

Vice President Kamala Harris — who has emerged as Biden’s most likely successor if he steps down — spoke in both Fayetteville and Greensboro within a week. Her speeches steered clear of the ongoing partisan battles, instead focusing on former President Donald Trump, his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, and their policy agendas.

Before the dinner, the North Carolina Republican Party mocked its party name and proclaimed broad support for its presidential candidate.

“If this is ‘unity’ for them, I can’t imagine what it looks like when they’re divided,” Matt Mercer, communications director for the NC GOP, said in a statement. “On the other hand, Republicans are more united than ever behind President Donald J. Trump, Senator J.D. Vance and Republicans on all ballots.”

Cooper and Stein rally support as they criticize Robinson

The North Carolina governor and the Democrat running to succeed him both urged attendees to prepare for a tough race, while criticizing the GOP candidate — Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson — as divisive and dangerous.

Attorney General Josh Stein and Gov. Roy Cooper wave to North Carolina Democrats at the party’s annual Unity Dinner in Raleigh on July 20, 2024. (Photo by Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline)

Cooper linked Robinson to Trump, saying that employees under their leadership would be “shacked” and abortion would be outlawed. And Stein called him a “conspiracy theorist” who “says the most horrible things about other people.”

Cooper’s name has been floated in political circles as a possibility to serve as Harris’ running mate if Biden drops out, but he praised the current ticket in his remarks Saturday.

“They’re all focused on North Carolina,” Cooper said.

More than 900 people attended Saturday’s event. About two dozen pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the convention center. U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna of California spoke briefly to the group, according to a video posted to his social media.

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