Transcript of Pelosi Interview on MSNBC's The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined MSNBC's The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart. Below are the Speaker's remarks:

Jonathan Capehart. Joining me now is the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi. Madam Speaker, welcome back to The Sunday Show.

Speaker Pelosi. Good morning, my pleasure to be here.

Jonathan Capehart. Good morning. Madam Speaker, as you well know, Republicans only need a net gain of five seats. You are always confident that the Democrats' prospects are golden and good. But do you think Democrats can keep the chamber with such a slim Majority?

Speaker Pelosi. Yes, I do. Let me address what you have said already. I've been, in the last month or so, to over 20 states. I have seen on the ground what is happening among the Democrats, and it's all very positive. They understand that our democracy and our rights are on the ballot, that the planet and its safety is on the ballot, that our economy is on the ballot. They also understand the difference between inflation and cost of living. Inflation is a global phenomenon. It's higher in the European Union and it's higher in the United Kingdom, in England. It is – and so it's something that has to be addressed, yes. But actually, it's something we have been addressing, even before this recent explosion of the inflation.

We've been trying for decades to lower the cost of prescription drugs. And we have done so, without one Republican vote. Lowering the cost of prescription drugs as well as having a cap on what seniors on Medicare will pay for prescription drugs. Lowering the cost of energy, without one Republican vote. We also know that, under President Biden, who has been a great President, we have cut in half unemployment from seven – plus seven – seven – little more than seven to three and a half percent, that the deficit has come down from 2.8 to 1.4. Cut in half the deficit.

So the cost of living, as well as reducing the deficit, has been a successful demonstration of what the President has tried to do. And that's different – they say inflation, the Republicans say inflation – they don't have a solution to inflation, because they don't have even one vote in favor of reducing the cost of living for America's working families. Their solution is to extend their tax cuts that give all the benefits to the high end.

Jonathan Capehart. Madam Speaker, let me jump in here on the economy, because I hear you on all the good things that the President has done. I even asked the President about, why isn't it that the voting public trusts Democrats when it comes to stewardship of the economy, despite wage increases, record low unemployment, record job creation? Why don't the American people – according to the surveys – trust Democrats, but instead trust Republicans?

Speaker Pelosi. Well, let me just say one of the – you talked about what you perceive to be a change in momentum. Let me just tell you what I have seen over this past month. I don't subscribe to what you said, that they don't trust us. The fact is, is that in the last few weeks, the Republicans recognizing now that they have a problem in this election. And you all have been telling them they're going to win for like a year and a half, but they're seeing what's happening on the ground. So they have placed unlimited money, unlimited money into these races with unlimited fact. Misrepresenting what the reality is, and it takes its toll. There's just no question.

We won't have unlimited, we'll have to have enough. But we have to fight that perception that they're putting out there about inflation, where they don't have one solution. And we're saying no – inflation, we all have to address – but bringing down the cost of living costs, bigger paychecks with our legislation, lower cost with our legislation and safer communities.

So again, what you see in that change is not a lack of trust of Democrats but a big infusion of big, dark, special interest – fossil fuel, gun, pharma – money coming after us.

Jonathan Capehart. Madam Speaker, one of the questions I asked the President, in starting to ask the President, I told him I'm scared and millions of Americans are scared, and that's because of what is going on within the Republican Party. And I want to read a quote from Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene that she told The New York Times Magazine where she said, about the potential of a speakership of Kevin McCarthy, where she says, ‘I think that to be the best Speaker of the House and to please the base, he's going to give me a lot of power and a lot of leeway.'

Madam Speaker, why should that prospect worry the American people?

Speaker Pelosi. I don't have any time to dwell on our not winning the House. So that is so scary. I agree with you. There's reason to be scared when you hear that, but the fact is, is that we fully intend to win. We have far superior candidates. Our nominees for challengers, shall we say, and our incumbents are far superior. So better candidates, well-organized on the ground, owning the ground with our mobilization, clear with our message into these districts. You either want to overcome – you want to overturn Social Security and Medicare or you want to strengthen it. You want to have a national ban on abortion or you want to respect a woman's right to choose. You want to have a planet that is safe for future generations, even the present, or you want to call it a hoax.

Our message, our contrast, a contrast between the candidates who are on the ballot, having nothing to do with me or the President or anything else. What is the choice that these people have? So our focus is on winning the election. I mean, you hear them saying they're not going to support Ukraine possibly. We've never said that anybody had a blank check. Ukraine has handled our contribution to their fight for democracy – which is a fight for all of us – with great integrity, with great transparency, with great accountability. So when they say we're not giving a blank check, the inference to be drawn is that perhaps somebody was giving a blank check, no.

But be very wary of them walking away from our support for democracy. And I wanted to bring that up because that actually has more salience than anything that what's-her-name might have to say.

Jonathan Capehart. Right. Let me just get your reaction real quickly: do you think that comment that was made by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy about blank check, is that a disqualifying comment? For someone who is third in line to the presidency?

Speaker Pelosi. Was I not clear? We are going to win this election. So it's not a question of where he may be.

Jonathan Capehart. No, I understand that.

Speaker Pelosi. Where he may be.

Jonathan Capehart. I understand, Madam Speaker.

Speaker Pelosi. It should be – I don't know if it's disqualifying, but it shouldn't – people should take that into consideration if they care about democracy. And democracy is on the ballot, but not just because of support for Ukraine, but because of trying to nullify elections, voter suppression, overturning elections after the fact if they don't like the outcome, in a very clear way that they've given notice, not just nullifying, but giving the impression that the election didn't even take place. There's something very wrong with that.

But again, democracy on the ballot, we want it to be strong; the planet on the ballot, we want it to be safe; our values on the ballot, we want them to be respected. And we fully intend to win.

Jonathan Capehart. Well, speaking of democracy on the ballot –

Speaker Pelosi. Take it to the bank.

Jonathan Capehart. All right, take it to the bank. I have to ask you about the January 6th Committee. On Friday, they officially subpoenaed Donald Trump. Do you think he'll actually appear for the deposition? And what does it say to the American people if he doesn't?

Speaker Pelosi. I don't think he's man enough to show up.

Jonathan Capehart. What was – I'm sorry, Madam Speaker. I literally could not hear what you said.

Speaker Pelosi. I said, you asked me if I thought he was going to show up. And I said, ‘I don't think he's man enough to show up.' I don't think his lawyers will want him to show up, because he has to testify under oath. But I don't think he'll show up. I don't think he's man enough. We'll see. Let's see if he's man enough to show up.

And the public should make a judgement. No one is above the law. If we believe that, then they should make a judgement about how he responds to that request.

Jonathan Capehart. And if he, if he doesn't respond to that request, what should the American people take from that?

Speaker Pelosi. They should take that he thinks that he is above the law. Whatever actions the Committee may take is up to them. I've kept my distance from their decision making. But whatever they decide will also send a message about his respect. He doesn't honor the oath we take to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. That's a serious oath that we all take. And clearly, most of us have more respect for the office he held than he had.

But why are we talking about him? We're talking about the future. Babies born now will live into the next century. We are going to make sure that we have a world that is safe for them, a democracy that is strong for them and values that are respected, the dignity and worth of every person.

Jonathan Capehart. Speaker of the House, Congresswoman from California, Madam Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, thank you, as always, for coming to The Sunday Show.

Speaker Pelosi. My pleasure. Thank you, Jonathan. Love to your mom and your auntie.

Jonathan Capehart. All right, and they're both watching, so they just heard it. Thank you again, Madam Speaker.