Pelosi: Dems Need ‘New Blood,’ but ‘I’m Here’ as Long as Trump in WH

Nancy Pelosi gavel (Alex Brandon / Associated Press)
Alex Brandon / Associated Press
Tony Lee

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) revealed that though even she agrees that Democrats need “new blood,” she is not going anywhere so long as Donald Trump is president.

In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that will air Monday evening on CNN International and PBS, Pelosi said she agrees that “it’s time for new blood and we should move on” and added, “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,”

“But to have no woman at the table and to have the Affordable Care Act at risk, I said, ‘As long as he’s here, I’m here,” Pelosi said, referring to Trump, whom she called “45.”

Pelosi said her caucus gives her the “honor of serving, and it’s up to them to choose who comes next,” but added that she was very confident she will regain her Speakership if Democrats take back the House after the 2018 midterm elections.

After Democrat Conor Lamb won a Pennsylvania House seat while vowing not to support the San Francisco liberal for Speaker, than 50 Democrats running for Congress have said they will not support Pelosi if they get to Congress. And a recent national poll found that 73% of Americans and 49% of Democrats do not want to see Pelosi as her party’s Speaker if Democrats take back the House.

Though Democrats have been worrying that running against Pelosi could help push some Republican House candidates across the finish line in some swing congressional districts, a consensus candidate from the left has yet to emerge to challenge Pelosi, whose fundraising and vote-counting abilities are still unmatched on her side of the aisle.

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