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US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently came under fire after being accused of elbowing congresswoman Mayra Flores’ daughter. A video showing Pelosi allegedly pushing Flores’ daughter made the rounds on social media and went viral.
The accusations came after Flores’ sworn-in ceremony at the US Capitol last week. The congresswoman suggested that Pelosi elbowed her daughter while they posed for a photo beside the speaker and said she was proud of her child for not letting the situation faze her:
The viral footage was initially shared on social media by a Twitter account called Face of America with a caption that read:
“Nancy tried to bully Mayra Flores’ Daughter, but our little queen stood her ground!!”
It was then circulated mainly by other Republicans, including Hollywood actor and producer James Woods. Although Flores did not seem to notice the alleged incident during the photo-op but responded to the video on social media:
In the slowed-down footage, Pelosi can be seen slightly moving her arm toward Flores’ daughter while posing for the picture. However, it is unclear if the move was intentionally made to elbow the child as per the allegations.
Mayra Flores, representing the 34th Congressional District of Texas, was elected earlier this month after Democratic Representative Filemon Vela resigned from Congress. Republicans hailed Flores’ victory as an example of more Latinos joining the party.
The politician also made history by becoming the first Mexican-born congresswoman to serve in the House and was sworn in by Nancy Pelosi. During the ceremony, Pelosi said it was a “great honor” for her to welcome Flores to the House and the US Capitol:
“It's a great honor to welcome Congresswoman Flores to the Capitol and to the Congress of the United States with great congratulations... Thank you Congresswoman Flores for your courage to run for office and best wishes for your success. It's an honor to work with you.”
She also praised the politician’s “leadership” and welcomed her “beautiful family” before Flores was sworn in for her role. Mayra Flores is married to a Border Patrol agent and is a mother to four children.
Twitter reacts to Nancy Pelosi allegedly elbowing Mayra Flores’ daughter
A video showing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi allegedly elbowing congresswoman Mayra Flores’ daughter during a photography session at the latter’s swearing-in ceremony was widely circulated on social media.
The footage sparked major criticism online as several Republicans called out Pelosi for her actions. Many social media users also took to Twitter to react to the video:
Following the online backlash, Pelosi’s spokesman Drew Hamill took to Twitter to deny the allegations and said that news outlets attempted to “misrepresent” the speaker through their claims.
He also clarified that during the photo session, Pelosi only moved her arms to ensure that Flores’ daughters would not be hidden behind her in the photographs during a moment that was very important to the family.
As reactions continue to pour in online, it remains to be seen if Nancy Pelosi will address the incident in the coming days and respond to Mayra Flores’ remarks.
