Altogether, domestic political, international political, and grand strategic calculations appear to have converged in the timing of Pelosi’s Taiwan trip. US Speaker Pelosi is flirting with fire by taking a trip to Taiwan despite the island’s UN-recognized government in Beijing being adamantly against her visit. It remains to be seen what the immediate and long-term consequences of this provocation will be, but one can already figure out why she chose this particular time to do it. The first reason is connected to domestic politics, particularly incumbent President Biden’s unpopularity, including among his fellow Democrats.