Maeve Reston is CNN's national political reporter covering the 2020 presidential election. According to a Washington Free Beacon analysis, she has a habit of fawning over the Democratic candidates she covers. On Wednesday, following the historic vote in Congress that resulted in Donald J. Trump becoming the third (and most successful) president since our nation's founding to be impeached, Reston switched gears by writing a glowing piece on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.).
The lengthy article begins by presenting a contrast between Trump's "taunts" and the "angry speeches" of House Republicans on the one hand, and the "sadness and disappointment" of Pelosi and her Democratic colleagues on the other. The speaker, who wore black in keeping with "the somber tone that has been her hallmark throughout the entire impeachment inquiry," solemnly invoked the Pledge of Allegiance as she addressed the House chamber.
While Pelosi's fellow Democrats attempted to echo her sorrowful demeanor, "few managed to sound quite as weary as the House Speaker," Reston writes. "It showed the discipline she wields as the leader of her caucus." Pelosi never wanted this to happen, Reston explains. She was "reluctant to carry the burden of impeachment but compelled to do so by a sense of duty to her oath of office and the constitution."
Pelosi's "power" is referenced throughout the piece. She is "the most powerful woman in the country." Her decision to delay sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate to initiate a trial was "an extraordinary and unprecedented power move." The speaker has "forged a new image of the woman in power in the age of Trump," while becoming "a force in her own right determined to rise above the fray."
President Trump remains a "clear threat to Pelosi's power," but the clash of personalities "appears to be a draw," despite the contrasting styles—Trump's "outrage" versus Pelosi's "restrained sorrow." Reston cleverly uses the journalism maxim "show, don't tell" to demonstrate how Pelosi has masterfully deployed this power in her "fascinating contretemps" with the president, a game that "few have learned to play ... as well" as the speaker:
While Trump has mastered the art of stirring controversy, Pelosi has skillfully generated moments that illustrate her power -- putting on her shades as she strode out of a testy White House meeting in her burnt orange coat; towering over the President pointing an accusatory finger in a pose that exemplified female authority to Democrats.
Reston concludes with yet another anecdote demonstrating Pelosi's ruthless exercise of power, this time over her fellow Democrats, some of whom had a difficult time pretending to be sad about the impeachment vote:
As she read out the tallies on the first article marking the impeachment of President Trump, some of her members cheered, defying her admonition to reflect the seriousness of the moment. With eyebrows arched, she glared at them with a look of warning, flicking up her hand signaling them to stop.
On the second vote, they did not make that mistake again.
We look forward to reading Reston's take on tonight's Democratic primary debate.