Sarah Huckabee Sanders claims America 'would be better' if Nancy Pelosi would 'smile a lot more often'


White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders blasted House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) sour expression at President Trump's State of the Union during an appearance on CNN on Wednesday. "I think that Nancy Pelosi looks like that all the time," Sanders told CNN's Chris Cuomo. "I think she should smile a lot more often. I think the country would be better for it."
Sanders added that Pelosi "seems to kind of embody the bitterness that belongs in the Democrat party right now."
Sanders wasn't the only one who noticed Pelosi's visage. "When Trump said he created 2 million jobs, Pelosi shook her head," observed Politico. "Pelosi shook her head when Trump said America is seeing rising wages again. Pelosi and [Democratic Whip Steny] Hoyer shook their heads a lot during Trump's remarks, looking befuddled for much of the speech."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Pelosi is not the first woman politician to have her smile, or lack thereof, become a point of scrutiny. "An angry or serious man evokes an image of passion and determination, whereas with a woman it is seen as a sign of derangement or loss of control," observed one Atlantic commenter in response to criticism over Hillary Clinton seeming too cheerful at a 2016 presidential debate.
Watch Sanders' comments below. Jeva Lange
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Violent videos of Charlie Kirk’s death are renewing debate over online censorship
Talking Points Social media ‘promises unfiltered access, but without guarantees of truth and without protection from harm’
-
What led to Poland invoking NATO’s Article 4 and where could it lead?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION After a Russian drone blitz, Warsaw’s rare move to invoke the important NATO statute has potentially moved Europe closer to continent-wide warfare
-
Africa could become the next frontier for space programs
The Explainer China and the US are both working on space applications for Africa
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants