Nancy Pelosi stuns crowd with 'slurred' Southern accent during Harvard talk on faith

CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS: Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 85, left Harvard students and online viewers puzzled after suddenly adopting a Southern accent while lecturing about “people of faith” during a speaking engagement at the Ivy League university this week. 

The longtime California congresswoman, who was invited to speak on religion and politics, shifted tone mid-sentence as she delivered a fiery critique of hypocrisy among self-professed religious leaders. “You’re people of faith? You go to Church on Sunday and pray in Church on Sunday and prey on people the rest of the week? What is this?” she asked, drawing nervous laughter from the crowd before chuckling along herself.

Pelosi, one of the oldest serving members of Congress, appeared animated during her remarks, though it was her unexpected accent that quickly became the talk of social media. 

Nancy Pelosi’s accent draws laughs and confusion

Videos of the moment went viral within hours, with many viewers questioning whether the Democrat was attempting a Southern impersonation or simply mimicking the cadence of religious preachers.

"I wonder if Nancy remembers how well adopting fake patronizing accents worked out for Hillary Clinton," one X user joked, comparing the incident to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has also been accused of adopting local accents during speeches. 

Another said, "Maybe it wasn't a fake accent. Perhaps her poli grip let go."

Another added, "Yes what exactly is this. She must have the same dialect coach as knee pad Harris."

Another commented, "Oh bless her heart, she’s about as Southern as a wet hen. Nice try, I’ll give her a 1 out of 100."

“I don't know about southern accent, sounded more like slurring to me,” one critic quipped online.

One user commented, "I’d call that more of a bad denture drunken accent than a southern accent. Time to reconcile every stock bought and sold by every member of Congress, past and present, and their family members, with every action taken by the House and Senate."

Another said, "I don’t hear a fake accent. She’s still disgusting."

Pelosi’s communications director, however, dismissed the viral mockery, sharing a link to the Wikipedia page for the “Baltimore accent.” The former speaker is a native of Baltimore, Maryland.

Nancy Pelosi’s fall, hip replacement, and slow return to public life

Pelosi’s quirky speech moment comes months after a challenging year marked by health struggles. Earlier this year, she was seen using a walker while recovering from hip replacement surgery following a serious fall during a bipartisan trip to Luxembourg in December 2024.

Pelosi reportedly tumbled on a marble staircase and was rushed to a hospital before being flown to Germany for surgery. She later received a warm welcome when she returned to the House floor, aided by two staffers as she greeted colleagues and posed for photos.

Republican Congressman Mike McCaul, who was present during the fall, said her high heels may have been to blame. “She was on the last step of a marble staircase without a railing when she lost her footing and went down,” McCaul recalled. “I helped her up, and that’s when we took the photo before she was taken to the hospital.”

Since then, Pelosi has swapped her trademark stilettos for flats, focusing on recovery while making occasional public appearances. 

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