How Nancy Pelosi answered critics after Georgia vote,

Democratic House leader under fire for string of setbacks.

WASHINGTON — House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi defended her leadership on Thursday in the face of needling from President Donald Trump and grumbling from fellow House Democrats exasperated after a high-profile special election loss.

“So you want me to sing my praises, is that what you’re saying?” the California Democrat remarked dismissively to reporters when asked why she should stay on as leader. “Well, I’m a master legislator. I’m a strategic, politically astute leader. My leadership is recognized by many around the country.”

“That is why I’m able to attract the support that I do, which is essential to our elections, sad to say,” Pelosi added, in a reference to her unparalleled fundraising hauls.

Pelosi’s defensive comments came as Democrats remained angry and divided after throwing some $30 million into a House race in Georgia on Tuesday, only to end up with a loss that wasn’t even very close. Republican Karen Handel beat Democrat Jon Ossoff by around 5 percentage points in the suburban Atlanta district previously represented by Tom Price, now the Health and Human Services secretary

Democrats were defeated in another race in South Carolina that same night, and had previously lost special elections to fill House seats in Montana and Kansas.

All the races were on GOPfriendly terrain. Pelosi and other Democratic leaders insisted that they demonstrated important progress by coming in a close second, and have a good shot at taking back the House in next year’s midterm elections. They must pick up 24 seats to do so.

But some rank-and-file House Democrats scoffed at such claims and raised questions about Pelosi’s continued leadership.

“If we take back the House in 2018 then I think she’d stay leader,” said Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz. “If we don’t, then I think it’s incumbent upon her and all of us to reassess who our leadership should be.”

Trump himself weighed in over Twitter Thursday morning with digs at Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York.

“I certainly hope the Democrats do not force Nancy P out. That would be very bad for the Republican Party and please let Cryin’ Chuck stay!” Trump wrote.

Pelosi brushed off the tweet, contending that Trump hadn’t actually written it himself because “it’s a classic Republican line.”

In fact Pelosi, 77, has emerged as a favorite GOP bogeyman and was the target of a barrage of negative advertising in the Georgia House race, mocking her as a San Francisco liberal and tying her to Ossoff.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said, “My leadership is recognized by many around the country.”