MSNBC’s Hayes Criticizes Pelosi’s ‘True Insanity’ For Rejecting AOC’s Bid To Be Oversight Chair

MSNBC host Chris Hayes criticized former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., this week for using her influence in Congress to ensure that Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., to defeat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. , for first place on the House Oversight Committee.

Hayes used the example to criticize older members of Congress for grabbing power instead of allowing younger Democratic “stars” in government into more important roles.

“But now Pelosi marshaled the votes to ensure Connolly took over as Overseer over the party’s new star, even as the 84-year-old Pelosi is recovering from hip surgery after suffering a fall. It feels like a real crazy moment,” Hayes said, referring to the recent accident and hospitalization Pelosi suffered while traveling abroad for work.

Hayes tried to be sensitive about the issue of age for older members of Congress, but insisted that continuing their massive government roles as they get older is “very dangerous.”

“And look, nobody wants to think about their own mortality. I sure as hell don’t. There are many people who live very long and active lives into their eighties, nineties. Even John Paul Stevens lived years after he retired from the court at the age of 90. But overall, this is a very risky enterprise for everyone.”

“And the Democrats are not taking this issue seriously, despite everything that has happened. But they should,” Hayes declared, referring to how the advanced ages of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and President Biden have resulted in political losses for the Democratic Party.

Moving on, he attacked another senior Democratic senator who was considering a run for office again and defended term limits.

“Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire just said she is undecided whether she will run for another six-year term in 2026, when she will be 79 years old. And again, this is nothing against Senator Shaheen personally, but according to the Pew poll, 79% of Americans support age limits for politicians in Washington.

Amazed by this poll, he added, “That’s an amazing number, overwhelming in today’s polarized environment. Seventy-nine percent of Americans disagree about anything. But they agree on this. And Democrats need to listen.”

His MSNBC colleague, network anchor Joy Reid, made the same point during Tuesday’s episode of MSNBC’s “The ReidOut,” calling out the “gerontocracy” for keeping DC stuck in older ways instead of allowing new “stars” like AOC to take on more responsibility.

“[The] gerontocracy seems intractable,” Reid said.

“I remember when Barack Obama was elected, he sort of pushed the DNC aside and created his own organization because I think there’s a frustration with the kind of creaky way the DNC operates.”