Talk about tone deaf.
As thousands of people across the country stand in line for hours at food banks just to survive — and as 22 million Americans have lost their jobs in the last month — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) showed off her very expensive refrigerator stuffed full of some very expensive gourmet ice cream.
Pelosi appeared Monday on an episode of “The Late Late Show” with James Corden from her Napa Valley mansion. Asked by the host to “share something from her home,” Pelosi walked over to two massive built-in refrigerators and slid open a freezer drawer.
She later took to Twitter to post the clip, writing: “We all have found our ways to keep our spirits up during these trying times. Mine just happens to fill up my freezer.”
We all have found our ways to keep our spirits up during these trying times. Mine just happens to fill up my freezer. #LateLateShow pic.twitter.com/dqA32d5lU1
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) April 14, 2020
Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden loved the post.
“You have great taste,” the former vice president wrote on Twitter.
You have great taste, @SpeakerPelosi. https://t.co/96cJJaBHFW
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 14, 2020
But a whole lotta other people didn’t like Pelosi’s post.
One Twitterer wrote that Pelosi’s “mail order gourmet ice cream is $14 a pint for those of you asking,” and included a link to Jeni’s, the ice cream Pelosi had tons of in her freezer.
#NancyPelosi's mail order gourmet ice cream is $14 a pint for those of you asking. https://t.co/jZyMj7BwmL
— Milo™ (@chasbottom) April 15, 2020
Actor James Woods jumped in, too.
“Her two refrigerators together cost $24,000 for her specialty chocolate ice creams, but she hates the small business owners of America. ‘Let them eat cake.'”
Her two refrigerators together cost $24,000 for her specialty chocolate ice creams, but she hates the small business owners of America. “Let them eat cake.” https://t.co/6ogIDP4QzT
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) April 16, 2020
Journalist Glenn Greenwald called Pelosi’s clip “tone deaf” and also noted the “two huge refrigerators by themselves cost more than many people make in a year.”
“It’s so revealing that the politician Dems adore most is one of the richest members of Congress. Pelosi has been so rich for so long that she can’t see how tone-deaf this is. It’s her normal,” he tweeted.
Her two huge refrigerators by themselves cost more than many people make in a year.
It's so revealing that the politician Dems adore most is one of the richest members of Congress. Pelosi has been so rich for so long that she can't see how tone-deaf this is. It's her normal: https://t.co/IxH0tkyWLs
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 15, 2020
“Nancy Pelosi throws parties in chinatown instead of encouraging social distancing, then she goes home and downs pint after pint of ice cream from her $24,000 fridge,” wrote another Twitterer.
Nancy Pelosi throws parties in chinatown instead of encouraging social distancing, then she goes home and downs pint after pint of ice cream from her $24,000 fridge
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) April 15, 2020
“People are losing everything while you joke about your wealth.@SpeakerPelosi really is a reprehensible person,” wrote another.
People are losing everything while you joke about your wealth.@SpeakerPelosi really is a reprehensible person. https://t.co/1NleaHY51N
— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) April 15, 2020
“While Nancy Pelosi sits in her ivory tower in San Francisco, eating $13 dollar a pint ice cream out of her $24,000 fridge, she is cheering on Democrats for blocking coronavirus relief aid that has so far been distributed to 1.3 million small businesses that is about to run out,” wrote GOP Rapid Response Director Steve Guest.
While Nancy Pelosi sits in her ivory tower in San Francisco, eating $13 dollar a pint ice cream out of her $24,000 fridge, she is cheering on Democrats for blocking coronavirus relief aid that has so far been distributed to 1.3 million small businesses that is about to run out. https://t.co/fvGoWSXXC9
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) April 15, 2020
“Everyone is laughing at this psychopath eating ice cream while on vacation as tens of thousands of people are dying, but has anyone *also* pointed out that she’s sitting in front of something like $30,000 worth of Sub Zero appliances in just this one narrow shot?” wrote another.
https://twitter.com/jakebackpack/status/1250391518885617666
“Pelosi has more money than the entire populations of some housing projects in the US. Is showing off your 15 flavor ice cream collection in extremely expensive appliances meant to be reassuring to people fighting 15 bill collectors during a pandemic & struggling to buy food?” wrote journalist Jeremy Scahill.
Pelosi has more money than the entire populations of some housing projects in the US. Is showing off your 15 flavor ice cream collection in extremely expensive appliances meant to be reassuring to people fighting 15 bill collectors during a pandemic & struggling to buy food? https://t.co/mn4bvUuEiO
— jeremy scahill (@jeremyscahill) April 15, 2020
“Pelosi pausing late night interviews about ice cream in her freezer to congratulate Democrats for blocking small business paychecks the night before funding runs out. This might be her ‘let them eat ice cream’ moment,” wrote Matt Whitlock, senior adviser for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Pelosi pausing late night interviews about ice cream in her freezer to congratulate Democrats for blocking small business paychecks the night before funding runs out.
This might be her “let them eat ice cream” moment. pic.twitter.com/5jXKCsG0kT
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) April 15, 2020