Nancy Pelosi Said She Didn’t Listen To Paul Ryan’s Farewell Speech, Was ‘Busy Doing Other Things’

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan delivered one final speech to Congress, a farewell address that praised the work he had done while also lamenting the divided politics.

His replacement, Nancy Pelosi, didn’t hear it.

As the Hill reported, the expected next speaker of the House said on Thursday that she didn’t listen to her Republican counterpart’s speech because she was “busy doing other things.”

“This may come as a shock to you, but I was busy doing other things at the time. I wish him well as he goes forward,” Pelosi said at a press conference on Thursday when asked what she thought of Paul Ryan’s farewell speech.

Pelosi did say she wished Ryan and his family well during the holiday and offered her “best wishes for a wonderful future.” Ryan decided not to run for re-election but is expected to remain close to politics, and Fortune noted that he will likely make millions as a Republican lobbyist.

Though Ryan has only days left in his tenure, his work may not be done after Donald Trump again on Thursday threatened a showdown over his request for border wall funding. The measure did not appear to have the support of enough Republicans to pass.

In his farewell speech, Paul Ryan decried the “broken politics” that have taken over Washington, D.C., and took what many saw as veiled shots at Donald Trump for his part in the political divide.

Nancy Pelosi on not attending Speaker Paul Ryan's farewell speech: "This may come as a shock to you, but I was busy doing other things at the time." https://t.co/IbMXzOtVy1 pic.twitter.com/nZAqaRWkRJ

— The Hill (@thehill) December 20, 2018

But Ryan struck an optimistic tone about the effect his tenure would have on Congress.

“We have taken on some of the biggest challenges of our time, and made a great and lasting difference in the trajectory of this country,” Ryan said (via Fox News). “Certainly one Congress cannot solve all that ails us. Not every outcome has been perfect.”

“But that is our great system at work. And I am proud of what we have achieved together to make this a stronger and more prosperous country,” he added.

But Ryan also noted that politics had become unpredictable. During his tenure, Ryan not only clashed with Democrats but also with Donald Trump and the more far-right members of his own party.

“The state of politics these days is another question, and frankly one I don’t have an answer for,” Ryan said. “As I look ahead to the future, this much I know: Our complex problems are solvable. That is to say, our problems are solvable if our politics will allow it.”

With Paul Ryan stepping down and Democrats set to take control of the House when the new term starts, Nancy Pelosi is preparing to become the next speaker.