Nancy Pelosi calls Wolf Blitzer GOP ‘apologist’ in fiery interview
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Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer had an uncharacteristically fiery back-and-forth, as the top Democrat was grilled over the two parties’ failure to reach a new spending deal to rescue the economy and fight coronavirus.
Mr Blitzer asked Ms Pelosi why she would not, as progressive congressman Ro Khanna and others have suggested, compromise on a bill, even if it fell short of the more than $2 billion Democrats in the House are pushing for.
People in need can’t wait until February. 1.8 trillion is significant & more than twice Obama stimulus. It will allow Biden to start with infrastructure. Obama won in 08 by doing the right thing on TARP instead of what was expedient. Make a deal & put the ball in McConnell court. https://t.co/qAEtd049sW
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) October 11, 2020
Ms Pelosi responded by calling Blitzer an “apologist” for Republicans.
"What makes me so amused if it weren't so sad is how you all think that you know more about the suffering of the American people than those of us who are elected by them" -- Pelosi to Blitzer pic.twitter.com/vCbefGf5R8
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 13, 2020
"What I say to you is, I don't know why you're always an apologist, and many of your colleagues, apologists for the Republican position,” the speaker said. “Ro Khanna, that’s nice. That isn’t what we’re going to do, and nobody is waiting until February.”
Tuesday’s testy conversation continued when the anchor pressed Ms Pelosi on why she did not deal with the president directly. The speaker often negotiates with senior Trump administration officials like Treasury secretary Stephen Mnuchin instead.
“What makes me so amused if it weren't so sad is how you all think that you know more about the suffering of the American people than those of us who are elected by them to represent them at that table,” Ms Pelosi said.
The two parties remain at an impasse on the spending package. Democrats have twice passed a renewed round of stimulus spending in the House—a $3.4 trillion bill in May, and a scaled back $2.2 trillion package in early October—but Republicans so far haven’t taken these up in the Senate. Instead, they have offered a $1.8 trillion deal, as well as other efforts like a standalone bill to re-up parts of the Paycheck Protection Programme, which many Democrats viewed as insufficient counteroffers.
Last week, the president said he would quit negotiating entirely until after election day, only to later renege and push for more stimulus spending.
Nancy Pelosi is asking for $2.4 Trillion Dollars to bailout poorly run, high crime, Democrat States, money that is in no way related to COVID-19. We made a very generous offer of $1.6 Trillion Dollars and, as usual, she is not negotiating in good faith. I am rejecting their...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 6, 2020
STIMULUS! Go big or go home!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 13, 2020
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