House Speaker Nancy Pelosi received more than she bargained for at times during her interview on 60 Minutes. Co-host Lesley Stahl did not give Pelosi a pass through the entire segment.
Instead, she essentially told Pelosi that she has no mandate when it comes to policy and accused Pelosi of refusing to compromise.
More than that, Stahl specifically put the blame on Pelosi for obstructing on the COVID relief legislation.
STAHL: In the election in November, someone said that the– the mandate that the Democrats won was not about issues because you lost so many seats; that the mandate was for tone, and attitude, and a– a strong desire for compromise.
PELOSI: I do know that it was a mandate for us to go forward with an agenda for America’s working families, as well as to do so in tone. We have– I always say to our members, we have a responsibility to find common ground. When we can’t, we must stand our ground, but we have to– we have a responsibility to try.
STAHL: You yourself are not known as a person who compromises.
PELOSI: No, I am. I’ll compromise. We want to get the job done. I’m a– I’m mischaracterized by the Republicans that way, but that’s a tactic that they use.
STAHL: But what about the–
PELOSI: Now, we know we want results for the American people.
STAHL: What about the COVID relief package?
PELOSI: Yeah.
STAHL: That was held up for eight months.
PELOSI: Right. But that was their obstruction. Understand this.
LESLEY STAHL: Well, wait. Your–
PELOSI: Was their obstruction.
STAHL: Yours, too.
PELOSI: Their obstruction.
STAHL: No. Yours, too.
PELOSI: Yeah.
STAHL: Takes two to–
PELOSI: No, it wasn’t obstruction.
STAHL: You held out for eight months.
PELOSI: No, no. We held it up because there was no– no respect for our heroes, our– our state and local health care workers, police and fire, our first responders, our sanitation, transportation, food workers, our teachers, our teachers, our teachers. They would not go down that path.
STAHL: There’s a member of your caucus who said specifically that, “We look like obstructionists, and it was a mistake.” I don’t remember anybody saying that. But they may have. And they may have. But it isn’t– it wasn’t a mistake. And I would not, and nobody expects me to, to support something that solidifies injustice in our country.
In addition, Pelosi was asked to talk about why she has not strived to bring young people into leadership.
STAHL: Can we talk about the A-word?
PELOSI: What’s that?
LESLEY STAHL: Age.
REPRESENTATIVE NANCY PELOSI: Oh, age.
LESLEY STAHL: You’re eighty.
REPRESENTATIVE NANCY PELOSI: Right.
LESLEY STAHL: Your number two, Steny Hoyer’s eighty-one. Your number three, Jim Clyburn, is eighty. Why haven’t you brought young people into the leadership?
The conversation then devolved into a conversation about Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Pelosi becomes agitated it seems.
