Nancy Pelosi wasn’t having it when a reporter suggested that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was steering Democrats in the middle of the government shutdown fight.
The former House Speaker bristled during a press conference Wednesday after being asked if Republicans should sit down with Ocasio-Cortez to negotiate an end to the stalemate.
“There was a thought from the Republicans that AOC is directing this, and she said that senators are welcome to go to her office directly. Is she driving that?” the reporter asked.
“Why are you saying such a ridiculous thing?” Pelosi shot back.
The question came after Ocasio-Cortez appeared on MSNBC the night before, telling Republicans, “My office is open, and you are free to walk in and negotiate with me directly.”
Pelosi dismissed the idea that Ocasio-Cortez is calling the shots, insisting that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is the one leading Democrats in the negotiations.
“She’s wonderful, she’s a real team player, and the rest of that,” Pelosi said, before making it clear: “She is not [directing negotiations]. Hakeem Jeffries is, and this takes a lot of experience, a lot of unity from the caucus in terms of the point of view, and that’s what this is.”
Pelosi also added that Ocasio-Cortez is “an articulate spokesperson for her point of view,” but doubled down that Jeffries is the one in charge of talks with Republicans.
The clash highlights the long-running tension between Pelosi and Ocasio-Cortez over the congresswoman’s influence in the party. Back in 2019, after Ocasio-Cortez and other progressives opposed a border funding bill, Pelosi famously dismissed their sway, telling The New York Times: “All these people have their public whatever and their Twitter world, but they didn’t have any following. They’re four people, and that’s how many votes they got.”
And as recently as last year, Pelosi was reported to have personally lobbied against Ocasio-Cortez’s bid to chair the House Oversight Committee. The New York congresswoman ultimately lost that leadership vote 131 to 84.
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In Pelosi’s defense: The interview was early in the morning and Her snapping was directly attributable to her not having the a second quart of “Gin & Juice.”