Pelosi called Donald Trump’s bluff on the 2019 shutdown

She became a focus of Republican criticism and a rallying point for Tea Partiers in the run-up to the 2010 midterm elections, who wanted to use them as a referendum on the Democratic agenda. Pelosi was chosen to lead the minority in the upcoming Congress despite calls for new party leadership. The Democrats experienced a significant comeback in the 2018 midterm elections as they took back control of the House. Pelosi made several concessions in response to calls for leadership changes, including accepting term limits. In January 2019, she was formally chosen as speaker, making history as the first person to hold the position for non-consecutive terms in more than 60 years. Pelosi's political acumen was also on display as she handled a shutdown of the government that had started in late December. The longest government shutdown in American history lasted from December 22, 2018, until January 25, 2019.

One of Trump's top campaign promises, money for a border wall between the United States and Mexico, was in question. In opposition to the president, who pledged to keep the government shut down until he obtained billions for the proposed wall, Pelosi brought her party together. Pelosi declined to allow Trump to deliver the annual State of the Union address in the House chambers while the government was shut down, citing security concerns. Trump failed to acquire the required cash, but in late January he ultimately consented to end the longest closure in history. Pelosi received particular acclaim for how she handled the circumstance.