House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed on Wednesday that she entered a San Francisco hair salon, after footage of having her hair done on Monday went viral.
Pelosi held a press conference on Wednesday in San Francisco, where she spoke about her visit to a hair salon. She said the hair salon, eSalon, set her up to be captured on camera during her visit.
“I take responsibility for trusting the word of the neighborhood salon that I’ve been to over the years many times, and when they said we’re able to accommodate people, one person, at a time, and we can set up that time, I trusted that,” Pelosi said.
During the press conference, Pelosi took responsibility for her actions but fell short of offering any apologies. She said “this salon owes me an apology” for setting her up.
Erica Kious, owner of eSalon, spoke to Fox News on Tuesday about the incident. Kious said that one of the independent stylists who rents a chair in her salon provided the service for Pelosi.
“It was a slap in the face that she went in, you know, that she feels that she can just go and get her stuff done while no one else can go in, and I can’t work,” Kious said to Fox News.
The stylist who did Pelosi’s hair, Jonathan DeNardo, backed up Pelosi’s claim that the salon owner set her up. In a letter released on Wednesday, DeNardo’s legal team said, “Mr. DeNardo advised Ms. Kious that he would not proceed with Speaker Pelosi’s appointment without Ms. Kious’ authorization … Ultimately, Ms. Kious authorized Mr. DeNardo to proceed with Speaker Pelosi’s appointment.”
The letter continued, “The fact that Mr. Kious is now objecting to Speaker Pelosi’s presence at eSalon, and from a simple surface-level review of Mr. Kious’ political leanings, it appears Ms. Kious is furthering a set-up of Speaker Pelosi for her own vain aspirations.”
Here’s Nancy Pelosi’s response when asked about her visit to a San Francisco hair salon. https://t.co/IQKWpWsGE0
“I take responsibility for falling for a set up,” Pelosi said. pic.twitter.com/IqzJVCCKFu
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) September 2, 2020
San Francisco businesses that offer personal services were allowed to reopen on Sept. 1. Personal services that are allowed to operate again include haircuts, barber services, massages and nail services, according to an announcement from the Office of the Mayor. These services, however, are required to operate outdoors.
In the video, Pelosi walked inside a San Francisco hair salon with wet hair and her mask lowered to her chin. The footage was filmed on Monday, one day before hair salons were allowed to function outdoors. The announcement from the Office of the Mayor adds that “only those services where both clients and providers can be masked at all times are allowed to resume.”
In July, Pelosi said on ABC’s “This Week” that a mask mandate for Americans was “long overdue,” according to Business Insider. “It’s not about protecting yourself, it’s about protecting others,” she added.
Rules for thee but not for me. pic.twitter.com/XcwRxf5PsW
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) September 2, 2020
Pelosi’s actions drew comments from lawmakers and activists on both sides of the aisle. President Donald Trump weighed in and said that “Crazy Nancy Pelosi” will be “sent packing” in the November election, also inferring that the Republican Party will take back the House.
Shahid Buttar, a progressive candidate running to unseat Pelosi, called the incident a “distraction” from other reasons why he feels he can replace Pelosi.
“Outraged that Nancy Pelosi visited a salon and refused to wear a mask indoors? There are many better reasons to replace her,” Buttar tweeted. “Pelosi: Funded Trump’s border camps & DHS good squad; Slow walked — then limited — Trump’s impeachment; Hasn’t debated in 33 years; Enables the GOP.”
