Pelosi cancels dinner for new members of Congress after Covid backlash led by Chelsea Clinton

Ms Pelosi’s office tried to defend the dinner, but 90 minutes later said it had been cancelled

Nancy Pelosi speaking this week (Getty Images)

Nancy Pelosi has called off a dinner for new Democratic members of Congress after a Twitter backlash from people who claimed the meal would flout Covid restrictions.

On the same day that she described the pandemic as an ‘emergency of the highest magnitude’, a photo was posted of the lavish dining room being prepared in the Capitol.

The speaker, 80, had told an NBC reporter that it was safe, and that there was advanced ventilation for the meal and a Capitol physician had signed off on it.

But the planned dinner angered prominent Democrats, who’ve made a point of distinguishing themselves from Republicans in how seriously they take the Covid threat.

They were led by Chelsea Clinton, who tweeted: “Please cancel these in-person dinners, @SpeakerPelosi & @kevinomccarthy to keep everyone safe from #covid19 - yourselves, your new members, servers, the Capitol police and all of their families and contacts. And, to show public health leadership.”

MSNBC anchor Chris Hayes added: “Cancel your precious dinner, you maniacs. my god.”

At first, Ms Pelosi’s office stood by the decision, saying: “Our office strictly follows the guidance of the Office of Attending Physician, including for this dinner. To be a further model for the nation, this event has been modified to allow Members-elect to pick up their meals to go in a socially-distanced manner.”

But 90 minutes later her deputy chief of staff tweeted: “Members-elect are now picking up their boxed meals and departing the Capitol. There is no group dinner. Members-elect are in DC already for orientation.”