“On a day of pomp and pageantry, ebullient Democrats assumed control of the House on Thursday and elected Representative Nancy Pelosi of California to be speaker, returning her to a historic distinction as the first woman to hold the post at the pinnacle of power in Congress, second in line to the presidency,” the New York Times reports.

“The investiture of Ms. Pelosi, whose talent for legislative maneuvering is surpassed only by her skill at keeping her fractious party in line, placed her at the fulcrum of divided government opposite an increasingly combative President Trump. With Mr. Trump, his presidential campaign and his businesses all under federal and state investigations, her handling of him will likely define the 116th Congress.”

Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) warned against creeping authoritarianism in an intense speech peppered with historical references, likening the political moment that brought President Trump to power to the rise of Adolf Hitler, Roll Call reports.

Said Johnson: “Our democracy teeters on the brink of failure. Americans elected an authoritarian, racist, anti-immigrant strongman to the nation’s highest office.”

Playbook: “Pelosi returns to the speakership in a uniquely powerful position, especially when considering that many Democrats just waged a campaign that included sharp criticisms of her. The 78-year-old California Democrat just vanquished a group of her challengers with precision and speed that shocked many longtime Hill watchers. Most House insiders expected that today she’d be in the middle of a brawl for the speakership on the House floor. Instead, she’s waltzing toward grabbing the gavel.”

“One of Pelosi’s skills is grinding down the opposition. Whether it was lawmakers in 2009 and 2010 agitating for the public option in health care reform, or more recently the group of 17 Democrats who signed a letter saying they’d never vote for her, Pelosi is patient, and is able to bring people to her side.”

“The past seven speakers of the House have lost their majority, been forced out by their own colleagues, or stepped down amid personal scandal. One of them — Nancy Pelosi — now has a second chance to rewrite her legacy,” Politico reports.

“On Thursday, the 78-year-old Pelosi will be the first person in more than six decades, since the legendary Texas Democrat Sam Rayburn, to return to the speaker’s chair after losing it. She will be surrounded by children as she does so, a replay of an iconic moment from her January 2007 swearing-in ceremony as the first female speaker in history.”

“On Thursday, the 78-year-old Pelosi will be the first person in more than six decades, since the legendary Texas Democrat Sam Rayburn, to return to the speaker’s chair after losing it.”