Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Oct. 16, 2023. Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

By Jacob Kornbluh January 28, 2024

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested in an interview on Sunday that Russia is involved in some of the pro-Palestinian activist movements pushing politicians to back a permanent cease-fire in Gaza. 

“For them to call for a cease-fire is Mr. Putin’s message,” Pelosi said on CNN’s State of the Union program, referring to the Russian president. ”Make no mistake, this is directly connected to what he would like to see.”

Rep. Pelosi, a Democrat of California, acknowledged the humanitarian concerns of the activists regarding the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Nonetheless, she said, some are connected to Russia’s geopolitical agenda. She drew parallels with similar protests related to the war in Ukraine. “I say that having looked at this for a long time now,” Pelosi said. “I think some financing should be investigated. And I want to ask the FBI to investigate that.” 

Israel’s military campaign in Gaza — a response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 brutal attack in Israel, which killed more than 1,200 — has resulted in more than 25,000 deaths, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. Recent polls show growing opposition to the war, in particular among young and diverse voters. Protesters have interrupted some of President Joe Biden’s campaign rallies chanting “cease-fire now.”

Pelosi said in the interview that she herself has been on the receiving end of such demonstrations. “They’re in front of my house all the time,” she said. “So I have a feeling for what feelings they have.” 

The remarks immediately sparked backlash on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

A Pelosi spokesperson clarified in a statement that Pelosi “has always supported and defended the right of all Americans to make their views known through peaceful protest.” The spokesperson added that Pelosi “is acutely aware of how foreign adversaries meddle in American politics to sow division and impact our elections, and she wants to see further investigation ahead of the 2024 election.”

Critics have expressed somewhat similar concern that the Chinese government is using the algorithm on TikTok, a Chinese app popular with young adults in the United States, to serve up pro-Palestinian content to sow discord among Americans.

Editor’s note: This post was updated to correct that the interview was on CNN’s State of the Union, and not on NBC’s Meet the Press. We also included a statement by Pelosi’s spokesperson. 

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