# Is Nancy Pelosi deaf? (asked by a NON TRUMPER)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [February 16, 2019, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659 "2019-02-16T09:34:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659/1 "2019-02-16T09:34:01Z")
I have read a lot of criticism of her performance behind The President during the SOTU. She applauded at the wrong places, didn’t stand up when she was supposed to, and even more egregious stared at her “iPad” while Trump spoke which turned about to be a printed copy of the speech, which she did seem to refer to an unusual amount of times.
Brings to me hypothesis: did Nancy need to pick up and preview the speech in order to try to guess when the best times were for her to react because she could not hear the President correctly? Shes almost 80, and based on the hate directed at her, her vanity (I don’t care what anyone says, Id feel lucky to have an almost 80 year old woman that looked like that as my wife GRRRRRRRR) is it possible she is hearing impaired but is doing all she can do to hide it?
---
### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659/2 "2019-02-16T10:35:03Z")
For SotU speeches there is not a particular time to applaud or stand up. She also seems to have no problem with hearing when addressed by the press. More likely, her actions were due to being Trump’s adversary at the moment, in other words, politically based.
---
### Author:  [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659/3 "2019-02-16T11:22:04Z")
As for checking the speech, it’s likely that she had it ahead of time - as is standard practice - and rightfully was checking to see how many times he’d went off script. It’s not like he’s known for sticking to his text.
---
### Author:  [@UnwittingAmericans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UnwittingAmericans)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659/4 "2019-02-16T12:17:30Z")
What a stupid question. She has a fucking press conference every week.
---
### Author:  [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659/5 "2019-02-16T14:31:10Z")
If deafness was her reason for reading along with the speech, then she’s been deaf [for at least twelve years.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hWRoq959Sw&t=41m35s)
---
### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659/6 "2019-02-16T14:40:22Z")
I can hear just fine, and I still prefer to read along with something I’m hearing, if I have the option.
---
### Author:  [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659/7 "2019-02-16T17:56:47Z")
I didn’t watch it, but doesn’t the Speaker sit behind the President during the SOTU address. From attending numerous graduation ceremonies, I can tell you that sitting behind the speaker is not conducive to hearing a speech.
---
### Author:  [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659/8 "2019-02-16T19:30:08Z")
“stand up when she was supposed to”??? surely you’re kidding.
---
### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659/9 "2019-02-16T20:44:09Z")
Yeah, I’d just like to second what was said in posts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.
---
### Author:  [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2019, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659/10 "2019-02-17T02:38:31Z")
> [@Twoflower](#):
>
> “stand up when she was supposed to”??? surely you’re kidding.
Fox News whined that Democrats didn’t stand up every time Trump passed gas.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
---
### Author:  [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2019, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659/11 "2019-02-17T02:41:22Z")
> [@UnwittingAmericans](#):
>
> What a stupid question. She has a fucking press conference every week.
Apparently not as one poster pointed out sitting behind a speaker might make it harder to hear the speech. So I may be on to something at least in terms of it being hard for her to hear. What a stupid fucking reply.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
---
### Author:  [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2019, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659/12 "2019-02-17T02:47:39Z")
> [@UnwittingAmericans](#):
>
> What a stupid question. She has a fucking press conference every week.
And yeah, how stupid to speculate that an 78 year old woman might struggle with hearing. As for press conferences maybe she can read lips, kinda hard to do when the speaker has his back to you.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
---
### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2019, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659/13 "2019-02-17T09:41:26Z")
Or maybe you’re just reaching for evidence to hold up the assumption you already made.
Pelosi is hardly the first Speaker to look bored/deaf/whatever during a SotU speech.
---
### Author:  [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2019, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659/14 "2019-02-17T10:11:50Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#):
>
> … maybe she can read lips, kinda hard to do when the speaker has his back to you.
Unless the speaker talks through his arse. So no problem there.
---
### Author:  [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2019, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659/15 "2019-02-17T10:56:35Z")
> [@UnwittingAmericans](#):
>
> What a stupid question.
> [@russian\_heel](#):
>
> What a stupid fucking reply.
Keep this threadshitting and sniping to the Pit.
[/moderating]
---
### Author:  [@UnwittingAmericans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UnwittingAmericans)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2019, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659/16 "2019-02-17T14:44:02Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#):
>
> Apparently not as one poster pointed out sitting behind a speaker might make it harder to hear the speech. So I may be on to something at least in terms of it being hard for her to hear. What a stupid fucking reply.
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Nah. You’re not on to anything.
---
### Author:  [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2019, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659/17 "2019-02-17T21:12:48Z")
> [@UnwittingAmericans](#):
>
> Nah. You’re not on to anything.
Normally I’d let a single comment after moderation go, but you’ve done this multiple times before and have both been warned and had a short term suspension.
This is a warning for failure to follow a moderator’s instructions. I recommend if you feel the need to get the last word in, don’t.
[/moderating]
---
### Author:  [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2019, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659/18 "2019-02-17T23:07:05Z")
> [@Broomstick](#):
>
> Or maybe you’re just reaching for evidence to hold up the assumption you already made.
>
> Pelosi is hardly the first Speaker to look bored/deaf/whatever during a SotU speech.
In my OP I made it clear this was a hypothesis. Based on (polite) responses I am convinced it’s not the case.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
---
### Author:  [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2019, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659/19 "2019-02-19T21:39:28Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#):
>
> Id feel lucky to have an almost 80 year old woman that looked like that as my wife GRRRRRRRR)
Please do not interject irrelevant comments, even if approving, about the appearance of women into other discussions. Such are not generally made regarding men, and serve no meaningful purpose regarding women.
(I know I responded to this the day it was posted, but I must have suffered a keyboard failure that prevented it being posted.)
[/Moderating]
---
### Author:  [@Pithily\_Effusive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pithily_Effusive)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2019, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659/20 "2019-02-20T00:10:49Z")
I thought her “performance” (sitting behind Donald the Chump and pretending he’s important) was _spectacular_. Between rolling on the floor belly-laughing, and falling asleep (like his poor woe-begotten namesake guest) I’d never been able to do what she did.
That being said, comrade, I have to agree that the veracity of this OP is in more question than the Speaker of the House’s State of the Union “performance”. Do svidania, comrade.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nancy-pelosi-deaf-asked-by-a-non-trumper/829659.md?page=2)