January 6, 2021 (02:12)

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Nancy Pelosi is the most powerful woman in American politics. On Jan. 6, 2021, insurrectionists went looking for her and destroyed her office. Pelosi told her staff she would have fought them off.

The Next Day... (05:04)

During Pelosi's speech on Jan. 7, she put the blame on Donald Trump. She called General Mark Milley because she was worried about a military takeover. She wanted to invoke the 25th Amendment.

1987 (05:35)

Pelosi was elected to Congress in 1987 as one of only 23 women. She grew up around politics with her father being mayor of Baltimore. Her mother always wanted to go to law school and encouraged Pelosi to not define herself through motherhood.

1969-1984 (04:25)

Pelosi was a stay-at-home mother of five but had always been interested in politics; she volunteered at Democratic Party events. When a Congressional seat opened in 1987, Pelosi decided to run for office.

1991-2002 (08:35)

Pelosi fought for liberal causes during her time in the House of Representatives. In 2006, she was minority leader and determined to end a string of Democratic losses in Congressional races and unify the party. She viewed the Republicans as morally wrong and opposed the Iraq War.

2006 (02:12)

The Democrats won the House in 2006 and Pelosi became the first woman Speaker of the House. She always said children were her main political priority.

2008 (06:09)

With the financial crash in 2008, Congress prepared for a recession. Pelosi organized a meeting of House leadership and the Treasury Department, who told them about a possible financial meltdown. Pelosi attempted to make a bipartisan decision to bail out the financial industry, but it failed.

2008-2009 (09:04)

President Barack Obama campaigned on bipartisanship and unity. Healthcare reform was the biggest test and Obama believed he could get Republicans on board, but Pelosi did not. Republican hatred for Pelosi grew and she pushed to stick to the original plan.

2010 (04:10)

The Republican strategy for the 2010 midterm election was to make Pelosi a villain. Republicans took control of the House. Pelosi had to step down as Speaker and became the minority leader.

2010-2017 (09:22)

When Trump became president in 2016, the Republicans also controlled Congress. Pelosi became the face of Democratic opposition to Trump. She helped Democrats, including a new generation of members, to retake the House, but her leadership was in question.

2018 (05:56)

Pelosi showed her leadership strength against Trump. Democrats unified behind her, and she was voted in as Speaker of the House.

2019 (07:55)

Pelosi called for Trump's impeachment, which made her relationship with him even worse. Democrats stood with Pelosi, but Senate Republicans acquitted Trump. Pelosi used the State of Union address to show her feelings about Trump.

2020-2021 (11:06)

The Jan. 6 events were the worst thing Pelosi ever experienced during leadership. She ensured the election confirmation happened after the attack. Pelosi called to have Trump impeached a second time and created the committee to investigate Jan. 6.

Credits: Pelosi's Power (00:60)

Credits: Pelosi's Power