[Donald Trump, President Of The United States Of America:] Nancy Pelosi and the group, you heard her the other day. She wants to raise your taxes. They want to get rid of the tax cut bill and raise your taxes. Nancy Pelosi came out in favor of MS-13. That's the first time I've heard that. She wants them to be treated with respect. Can you imagine having Nancy Pelosi as the speaker of the House? Can you imagine?
[Bolduan:] That was President Trump going after House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi during a speech last night making it pretty darn clear that Republicans think running against Pelosi once again is the path to keeping their majorities. Is that the case? Joining me right now a member of the House Democratic leadership, Congressman Joe Crowley of New York. Congressman, thanks for coming in.
[Representative Joe Crowley , Chairman, House Democratic Caucus:] Thanks, Kate. Great to be with you.
[Bolduan:] So, if Donald Trump is laying out the strategy last night, Republicans are making no secret that they're going to go after run once again against Nancy Pelosi in the midterms. Does the minority leader make it harder for Democrats to win?
[Crowley:] Well, I think what you clearly heard in the last segment was the divider in chief. He's doing nothing to bring this country together and to cast dispersions on Nancy Pelosi and that group. I guess he's talking about me and Democrats in the House and Senate isn't doing anything to bring us together and quite frankly, it's once again, the president and his party are bankrupt of any ideas to move the country forward. They just keep going back to the same old playbook and I simply don't think it's going to work this year.
[Bolduan:] The playbook has worked before running against Nancy Pelosi, is running against Nancy Pelosi, is the Democratic minority leader, is she making it harder for Democrats?
[Crowley:] Well, what I would suggest is if you look at what happened in the elections yesterday, Georgia and Kentucky and elsewhere, we are seeing record numbers of women being selected as Democrats, being our standard bearer this November. And I believe that the enthusiasm that is out there for Democrats across the board and I think, you know, like-minded independents is going to ensure that Democrats take control of the House of Representatives. And I think the attacks upon Nancy Pelosi and upon the party again is reflective of a lack of ideas that they have to move the country forward. They simply want to go back and attack, attack, attack. That's the old playbook and it's not working. We see it poll after poll. It's simply not going to work.
[Bolduan:] Well, Congressman, whether or not Democrats win back the House in the midterms, there's a whole lot of talk about who will be leader of the Democrats in the House come January. Last month "Politico" was reporting that they spoke with nearly 30 Democratic lawmakers and aides and almost all said it is no secret that you're gunning for it if there is a shake-up. Are they all wrong?
[Crowley:] Well, I think, you know, don't always read what you believe, and don't always believe what you read. I think what we are focused on
[Bolduan:] But are they all wrong?
[Crowley:] Let me answer. What we are focused on is winning back the House of Representatives. Nothing else matters. Nothing else matters but winning. Nancy Pelosi is agnostic about winning. She just wants to win. We just want to win, and we'll let the politics deal with itself after that. I've said repeatedly I see no situation by which I would be anything other than supportive of Nancy Pelosi. So, let's move forward. Let's win in November and we'll take it from there.
[Bolduan:] The president said that he has more tax cuts coming before November. Are you aware of another bill in the works?
[Crowley:] I've heard some rumors about that and I think the big difference here, Kate, is going to be that they simply will not be able to pass it with the 50 plus one vote. It will take 60 votes to pass it in the Senate and finally, maybe they'll have to start talking to Democrats. They didn't do that in the last go around in the tax cuts that was passed, and Democrats, we want to offer a better deal to the American people, better jobs, better wages and a better future. And part of that is revisiting that tax bill making it fairer and getting it down to the middle class and working poor in our country and providing $50 billion to invest in our teachers and our schools and make being a teacher a solid part of the middle class once again. Those folks have been forgotten. That's what we are talking about in Democrats side of the aisle.
[Bolduan:] There's a big question, though, what should Democrats be running on right now. The reason I ask is because I have gotten two different answers from two different Democrats, who have come on the show.