House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi agrees it’s “time for new blood” in the Democratic Party but doesn’t feel comfortable giving up her leadership position as long as President Trump is in power.
“I do agree that it’s time for new blood and we should move on, and if Hillary Clinton had won and the Affordable Care Act was protected — I feel very proprietary about that — I was happy to go my way,” the California congresswoman told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an interview Friday, which is set to air Monday night on CNN International and PBS.
“To have no woman at the table and to have the Affordable Care Act at risk, I said, ’As long as [Mr. Trump’s] here, I’m here,’” she added.
Some Democrats have been reluctant to back Mrs. Pelosi as the party’s leader ahead of the November midterm elections amid warring factions in the party between moderate and far-left Democrats.
Mrs. Pelosi, however, said she is “very comfortable” about the support she has in her caucus and is confident she “will be” House speaker once again.
She also declared that if the midterms were held today, the Democrats would take back the House and “women would lead the way.”
“If the election were held today, we would win overwhelmingly and women would lead the way,” she said. “We have so many excellent women candidates from women across the country. Women marched and then they ran, and now they’re running and now they’re going to be members of Congress.
“Nothing is more wholesome for America, for our system of government and politics than the increased participation of women in our leadership and their participation in our government,” she added later in the interview. “I honestly believe if we decrease the role of money in politics and increase the level of civility in politics, we’ll even have many more women who will go forward, enter the arena, win the fight [and] make a difference.”
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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