Pelosi ‘mugged’ for emphasizing ‘Christ’ at Christmas event?

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “mugged” for taking sides in the war on Christmas?

Pelosi was a guest speaker at the annual U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree lighting ceremony Dec. 2. She reminded the crowd of “all the gifts God has given us and how blessed we are” and asked Americans to pray for world peace.

With the help of Chris Gabrielsen, a fourth grader from Montana, she lit the 70-foot subalpine fir from Montana’s Bitterroot National Forest – with energy-saving LED bulbs to “fight global warming.”

The crowd cheered and the Air Force band played “O Christmas Tree” and “Joy to the World.”

But then something curious happened.

VIP guest Rev. Rob Schenck of Faith and Action, a Capitol Hill missionary, said he approached Pelosi to thank her for keeping “Christ-mas” as the Capitol, according to AOL News. He emphasized the word “Christ.”

Pelosi reportedly smiled and shook his hand. Schenck said he started to walk away, but Pelosi followed him. Then she captured his attention by putting her hand on his arm.

“You know, I got mugged for that,” she told the reverend.

Schenck said he didn’t read into her statement.

“At first I didn’t understand what Mrs. Pelosi was saying, so I simply nodded and thanked her again,” Schenck said, according to Christian News Wire.

U.S. Capitol’s 2008 Christmas tree

But he said Pelosi persisted.

According to Schenck, with a serious look on her face, Pelosi said, “No, you ought to know, I really got mugged for that.”

He said her expression showed “consternation” and “frustration.”

Schenck said he believes Pelosi was speaking about the political price she paid for participating in the Christmas celebration when she used the term “mugged.”

“She obviously took some political heat for it. For that, Nancy Pelosi deserves to be commended, and I made sure I did so.”

The reverend called the incident further proof of the ongoing battle against the Christian holiday.

“If one of the most liberal, arguably left-wing political leaders in our country, the woman third in succession to the presidency, is getting pummeled for lighting a Christmas tree and allowing Christmas carols on the lawn of the Capitol, that would qualify as a war against Christmas.”

Chelsea Schilling

Chelsea Schilling is a news and commentary editor for WND and a proud U.S. Army veteran. She has a master's degree in public policy and a bachelor's degree in journalism. Schilling also worked as a news producer at USA Radio Network and as a news reporter for the Sacramento Union. Read more of Chelsea Schilling's articles here.