Pelosi should 'hang up the cleats,' CNN pundit says

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ended a months-long rumor that she would retire when she announced her interest in seeking re-election, a choice one CNN pundit is apparently hoping she reconsiders.

Bakari Sellers told CNN's "The Lead" that the California Democrat should selflessly "hang up the cleats" to allow more people within the party to step up.

"I firmly believe that it’s time for new leadership in the House Democratic Caucus. I think it’s time for new leadership throughout the Democratic Party. Not only do we have to get younger but more vibrant and have bigger and bolder ideas to bring in a new generation of voters," Sellers said.

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Pelosi was first elected by her party to be House Minority Leader from 2003 to 2007 before she became speaker in 2007 to 2011 and again since 2019.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., meets with reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021.  (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

"Nancy Pelosi will go down in history as the greatest speaker of all time," Sellers continued. "Whether or not you’re talking about ushering a country through COVID or passing Obamacare, or the Affordable Care Act. So, her legacy is already written. But there comes a time, whether or not you’re Nancy Pelosi, or whether or not you’re, you know, Tom Brady, that sometimes you have to hang up the cleats when it comes to being leader of your particular party or leader of your organization."

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Sellers seemed to suggest Pelosi could remain in office but not necessarily a leadership position.

"Part of being a great leader is knowing when it is time to turn the reins over," he concluded.

CNN's "The Lead" host Jake Tapper with pundit Bakari Sellers on Tuesday, Jan. 25. (Getty Images)

Pelosi announced she would serve one more term in office, which will conclude in January 2023.

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"While we have made progress much more needs to be done to improve people’s lives. This election is crucial: nothing less is at stake than our Democracy," Pelosi said on Twitter Tuesday. "But we don’t agonize-we organize. I am running for re-election to Congress to deliver For The People and defend Democracy."