CNBC’s Jim Cramer Faces Backlash After Calling Nancy Pelosi ‘Crazy Nancy’ During Interview

Topline

Jim Cramer, the host of CNBC’s Mad Money, sought to parry a storm of criticism Tuesday after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) appeared to be less than pleased at him referring to her as “Crazy Nancy,” President Donald Trump’s rude nickname of choice for the speaker, during a live interview.

U.S. Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) speaks during a news conference last week on … [+] Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

Getty Images Key Facts

Pelosi was on CNBC to discuss the latest attempts in Congress to craft a compromise on a coronavirus stimulus package, but the interview took an uncomfortable turn when Cramer referred to Pelosi as “Crazy Nancy.”

“What deal can we have, Crazy Nancy?” Cramer asked the speaker, referring to the stimulus package, before adding “Sorry, that was the president. I have such reverence for the office, I would never use that term—”

“But you just did,” Pelosi interjected, with a strained laugh.

Cramer said he meant to be “facetious” in using the nickname, and later told her, “I have respect for you. Anyone who gives their life to public service and is Speaker of the House should not be called that name. I don’t even want to use it again.”

Pelosi appeared to take the comment in stride, telling him in response not to worry.

The host was roundly criticized on social media, making him a trending topic on Twitter, with users saying he was disrespectful, but he tweeted, “It disgusts me that she is called ‘crazy Nancy.’ She has spent her whole life in public services. My critics didn’t listen to why I mentioned it—because it is horrifying.”

Crucial Quote

“Anything the president says is a projection of his own insecurities,” Pelosi said later in the interview in response to Cramer’s on-air gaffe, referencing Trump’s nicknames. “He calls other people crazy because he knows he is. He complains about this, that and the other thing because he knows his own shortcomings. He’s a master of projection, so any time he says something, you say ‘Uh oh, that’s what he’s thinking of himself.’ ”

Key Background

“Crazy Nancy” is a favorite nickname for the speaker coined by Trump, who is fond of referring to rivals and critics of his administration with offensive monikers, like “Creepy Joe” for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, or “Little Rocket Man,” a term he used for North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. “Crazy Nancy” is one of his favorites, though, and he has used the nickname dozens of times on Twitter to refer to the speaker. More recently, he used the term to criticize Pelosi after she sparked controversy for visiting a California hair salon despite a local ban on indoor hair services due to the coronavirus pandemic, a situation the speaker called a set-up.

Further Reading

As Stimulus Pressure Mounts, Pelosi Reassures House Democrats They’ll Remain In Washington Until There’s A Deal (Forbes)