The old Democrat guard is finally stepping aside in Washington, DC.
But they're going out on the most bitter note imaginable.
And Steny Hoyer called pardoned Americans traitors in one bitter retirement rant.
The longest-serving House Democrat is calling it quits
U.S. Representative Steny Hoyer (D-MD) announced he's retiring from Congress after nearly six decades in elected office.
The 86-year-old spent more than four decades in the House after winning a special election in 1981.
Hoyer rose through the ranks to become House Majority Leader, serving as Nancy Pelosi's number two for 20 years.
He helped shepherd major Democrat priorities through Congress including Obamacare and Biden's reckless Inflation Reduction Act spending spree.
The Maryland Democrat told The Washington Post he decided to leave over the holidays with his family.
"I did not want to be one of those members who clearly stayed, outstayed his or her ability to do the job," Hoyer said.
He's set to formally announce his retirement on the House floor Thursday morning.
Hoyer suffered a stroke in August 2024 and decided it was time to pass the torch.
His departure follows Nancy Pelosi's announcement last fall that she won't seek reelection after nearly 40 years.
The old Clinton-era Democrats are finally clearing out.
Hoyer spent his final days trashing Trump and defending cop-beaters
Hoyer's retirement interview came on January 6 — the fifth anniversary of the Capitol protest.
And the bitter Democrat used his swan song to trash President Trump and his supporters.
"His greatest strength, he has no shame, does not," Hoyer told the Post about Trump.
Then came the accusation that sums up why Democrats lost so badly in November.
Hoyer accused Trump of "pardoning 1,600 people who committed treason."
That's the Democrat Party mindset right there — calling American citizens "traitors" for protesting an election.
Never mind that Trump's pardons freed people who were prosecuted by Biden's weaponized Department of Justice.
Never mind that hundreds of those pardoned were guilty of nothing more than trespassing.
Never mind that the Capitol Police opened doors and waved protesters inside.
Hoyer gave a floor speech just days ago where he called January 6 rioters "criminals, convicted of such. Insurrectionists, cop killers, cop beaters, democracy destroyers."
The Capitol Police Chief said Trump's pardons were "deeply troubling" and demoralizing to law enforcement.
Hoyer cited one case where prosecutors claimed a man "used a stolen riot shield to pin" a police officer.
But Trump's pardons showed Americans the truth — that Biden's DOJ prosecuted political opponents with the same zeal they ignored Hunter Biden's crimes.
Democrats lost because they hate Trump more than they love America
Hoyer represents everything wrong with the modern Democrat Party.
He spent 44 years in Congress racking up nearly $36 trillion in national debt.
He voted for endless foreign wars and open borders.
He backed every woke cause the Left dreamed up.
But in his final interview, what did Hoyer talk about?
Not his legislative accomplishments.
Not the future of his party.
Not the challenges facing America.
Trump.
That's all Democrats know how to talk about.
Trump derangement syndrome consumed their party and cost them the 2024 election.
Americans voted for Trump because they wanted someone who would fight for them instead of attacking political opponents.
They wanted a President focused on the economy, the border, and making America great again.
Not someone obsessed with jailing protesters and calling half the country traitors.
Hoyer's bitter exit proves Democrats learned nothing from their crushing defeat.
The old guard is retiring, but they're leaving behind a party that's more radical and out-of-touch than ever.
Sources:
- CNN, "Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer to retire from Congress," January 8, 2026.
- The Washington Post, "Rep. Steny Hoyer to retire, ending storied career in elected office," January 7, 2026.
- Congressman Steny Hoyer, "Hoyer: Let Us Remember January 6th, Lest it be Repeated," January 7, 2026.
- NPR, "Rep. Steny Hoyer, the longest-serving House Democrat, to retire at the end of term," January 8, 2026.
- WTOP News, "Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer will retire after 60 years in elected office," January 8, 2026.
