If Donald Trump somehow manages to retake the White House, that’s when we’ll miss Nancy Pelosi the most because she had his number.

Nancy Pelosi stepped down from Democratic leadership, though she’s going to remain a member of Congress. Republican representative Ronny Jackson, a man who has literally been inside Donald Trump, tweeted how she’s now unemployed and no longer living off the taxpayers. She is NOT unemployed and Jackson is also living off the taxpayers. Republicans are enthusiastic that they “fired” Pelosi, but she’s stepping down. She hasn’t been fired.

I thought of doing a cartoon on a new problem for Republicans, which will be their hunt for a new boogeyman. For the past two decades, they’ve been vilifying Pelosi though none of them can actually tell you what’s so bad about her. They trashed her to the point that a terrorist broke into her house and assaulted her husband, cracking his skull open with a hammer. Today, they’re still vilifying her.

I saw a cartoon last night with this concept and another colleague commented on it, saying he was working on the same concept. But, boys…you’re forgetting something and that is, Republicans don’t work with reality. Republicans are still attacking Hillary Clinton and she hasn’t made a political move in six years. How many times in the past two years have you heard a Republican warn that Hillary Clinton is planning to run for president? MAGAts scream at me for drawing Trump, saying I should leave him alone since he’s not president (sic) anymore. But they really enjoy all those Hillary cartoons conservative cartoonists are still drawing.

What’s so “bad” about Nancy Pelosi for conservatives is that she was good at her job. In fact, she was great. She is the greatest House speaker in the history of the House. Put aside whether you agree with her or not, or if you even like her personally, she knew how to keep her members in line and push measures. There would be no Obamacare if Nancy Pelosi wasn’t Speaker at the time. If Pelosi hadn’t been Speaker for the last two years of Trump’s presidency (sic), he might have gotten funding from Congress for his racist border wall instead of having to steal it from the Defense Department’s budget.

During Pelosi’s speech, she mentioned that she enjoyed working with Presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and even George W. Bush. She didn’t mention Trump, but maybe she should have, because I’m sure she enjoyed beating his ass time and time again.

Pelosi out-negotiated Donald Trump more than once, even during a government shutdown he initiated over funding for his wall. He left that negotiation with nothing and reopened the government. She impeached him twice and reconvened the House after his terrorist attack on it.

Pelosi didn’t mention Trump in her speech yesterday but subtly referenced him saying, “American democracy is majestic, but it is fragile. Many of us here have witnessed its fragility firsthand, tragically, in this chamber. And so, democracy must be forever defended from forces that wish it harm.”

Kevin McCarthy, who will most likely be the next Speaker, showed what kind of speaker he plans to be by not attending Pelosi’s speech. He criticized Pelosi for not delivering the speech when he could have been available. Shame on her for not checking with him first.

Republican Steve Scalise attended her speech, and was the only member of House GOP leadership to do so, and applauded for her.

Republican Doug MaLafa, one of the few who attended, said, “It has been historic. She’s been strong for her conference all this time. There’s a rivalry with opposite teams and all that stuff, but you know, at the end of the day, we all try to remember and reflect on how you get along with people.”

Republican Dan Meuser praised and insulted her, saying, “She’s got quite a legacy, that’s for sure. She’s an incredibly strong lady, hard worker, determined; certainly proved to be an excellent leader for her Democrat Party. I disagreed with her probably 98% of the time. But you’ve got to respect what she’s done. I was here because it was historic. The first woman speaker of the House and now, stepping down for the second time. So she’s quite a lady… and I don’t necessarily mean that always in a positive way.”

But in case we forgot that most Republicans are vile, there were those to remind us. Republican Jeff Duncan said, “Thank you for tendering your resignation from House Leadership today, @SpeakerPelosi, but I believe the American people fired you first.” They didn’t fire her from Democratic leadership, you ignorant turd. The only person the GOP has fired from House leadership was Liz Cheney, and that was for having principles.

The always classy Lauren Boebert tweeted, “Good riddance,” even though she hasn’t officially won her reelection yet. After a recount where she leads by a little over 500 votes, we could be saying “good riddance” to her. The likes of Boebert really can’t miss an opportunity to be as vile and sh—y as possible.

Republican Tim Burchett said, “We don’t agree on anything. And I went up and talked to her, and she hugged my neck, and she asked me how my little girl Isabel was doing. She has a granddaughter named Isabel.” That’s the kind of person Pelosi is, and not the character the GOP has made her out to be over the past two decades.

Pelosi was the first woman to become Speaker of the House. She referenced the progress saying, “When I came to the Congress in 1987, there were 12 Democratic women. Now there are over 90… and we want more.”

Senator Tammy Duckworth said, “She’s broken glass ceilings and been a true role model for generations of women, including myself.”

Nancy leaves leadership with grace, civility, and dignity, all of which are sorely lacking in the new majority.

Watch me draw:

Visit Clay Jones’ website and email him at [email protected].