Pelosi: 'We will win the House, Hakeem will be speaker'

AMNA NAWAZ: Meanwhile, back here in the studio,#we are now joi... who hardly needs an introduction.

That's Speaker# Emerita and California Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.

Madam Speaker, welcome back.# Great to have you with us.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): Wonderful# to be with you.

It's a tradition now.## I think this is my fifth time on election night.

AMNA NAWAZ: We love having you back every# time.

Thanks for being a part of this.

I know we want to talk about the White House,## but I got to start with the# House, that you know so well.

Last time you were here,# you were confident Democrats will win## back control of the House.

Specifically,# you talked about the five New York seats## you lost in 2022.

Are you still confident# you will win back those five and control?

REP. NANCY PELOSI: Yes, well, may I just say# that I was countering what was being proposed,## which was that we were going to# lose 30 or 40 seats.

And I said,## no, I thought that we could win# the House, which I did think.

We did lose those seats in New York.

I think# we will win them back, probably all of them,## maybe more, in this election, and Hakeem# Jeffries will be the speaker of the House.## I have been traveling in all of --# I haven't been to Georgia lately,## but I have been to all of the other# target states, because we have races## in those states for the House, as well# as for president of the United States.

And I do believe that we will win the House,# that Hakeem will be speaker.

It is necessary## from the standpoint of our policies, but also# in terms of our democracy that, on January 6,## just as I had the gavel last time, it's# important for him to have the gavel## to make sure that the election is accepted# by the Congress of the United States.

And that shouldn't even be a question.

GEOFF BENNETT: When we spoke during# the Democratic National Convention,## you said you expected five# seats, but that you wanted 10.

REP. NANCY PELOSI: Oh, definitely.

GEOFF BENNETT: Are you still that bullish?

REP. NANCY PELOSI: I want more than that.

I# want at least 10.

Five takes us to eve.. it's four now.

Now it's down to four.# Four takes us to even.

And I would like## to go well into the 122, something like that,# which would be about six more, so about 10.

GEOFF BENNETT: When you travel across the# battleground states, what are you hearing## and what are you seeing that you think# bodes well for Democrats' chances tonight?

REP. NANCY PELOSI: OK, well, let me just say this# first.

Everyone, go out and vote.

If you have not## voted yet, it's very important for you to exercise# your right to vote.

It's important, essential.

And this day, this Election Day for us# is really sacred territory because of## the sacrifice of our founders to declare a# war, to win a war, to establish a democracy,## because of the sacrifice of our men and# women in uniform and what they have done## to fight for our freedom and keep it safe, and# really for our responsibility to our children.

So this is holy for me.

So, however you're# going to vote, go out and vote.

What I have## seen across the country is something that I -- is# music or pleasant to my ears, because I like to## own the ground.

I say there are two things.# You must mobilize.

You must own the ground.

Get out your vote.

And you must message# in a way that is unifying for our country,## which Kamala Harris is doing.

Mobilize# a message in a way that is, again,## as -- shall we say, you can't run on empty.# You have to have your message out there.

And what I have seen, to your question,# across the country is a mobilization like## we have never seen before in every# state, not just the targeted states,## but in every state, which leads me to# believe that we will win the House.

I think that we can win the White House as# well.

I'm so proud of Kamala Harris.

And the## response that we have seen to her message of -- a# message to go forward, just the economic message## that she has is one that, again, attracts# people to vote.

So I think she will win too.

But you asked me about the# House.

Hakeem will be speaker.

AMNA NAWAZ: You did also mention January 6.# And we have talked a lot about the possibility## of political violence, about what to expect.# Experts we talk to say it's really the time## between Election Day and when the votes# are certified or when the race is called,## if that takes a few days, that# they are most worried about.

You have seen former President Trump has# come out targeting you specifically as well.

(CROSSTALK) AMNA NAWAZ: He had awful## things to say about you at a .. about your own safety?

And how do you look# at the landscape of whether there could## be some kind of violence if it takes time# between Election Day and a call being made?

REP. NANCY PELOSI: Well, let me just say# about elections, it's the time leading## up to the election, Election Day and then# the count after that.

And that's normal.

Now, to just remind that, in -- four years ago,# when the former president was making all these## challenges, the Democrats won over 60 percent of# the court cases, just about all of them.

And so## far, we have won 20 of the cases in the time# leading up to the election and going forward.

Am I worried about my safety?

Yes, I am.

Two# years ago, right this past week, my house,## the sanctuary of our home was invaded.

The# safety of my husband was violated.

He's still## suffering from some of that, and by a person# going there echoing the voice of January 6,## "Where is Nancy, where is Nancy?"

to punish# me for what I have said about Donald Trump.

So, yes, I think he knows that that's provocative# when he says what he says.

The sad part of it is,## is that when he says he's there to# protect women, whether they like it## or not, I consider that violence against# women.

That's not what you say to women,## and that's not what you say about# what he said about Kamala Harris,## what he said about me, what he said about# the former first lady Michelle Obama.

So it is provocative.

And that's -- I don't# know why people just think that's funny.

When## he -- when my husband was attacked,# he made a joke of it.

He made a joke## of it.

His family made a joke of it.

The# governor of Virginia, the current governor## of Virginia made a joke of it.

Musk,# whatever his -- he made a joke of it.

And it's not funny, and that has no place# in a political process.

So am I afraid?

Yes.

But, apart from that, it's not about me.# It's about other people who want to engage## in politics.

If you wanted to run for office, you# would not want to think that you were jeopardizing## the health and well-being of your family.# That's just not what our system is about.

But you know what?

We don't agonize.# We organize, and we're organizing in## a very positive way about a new era for# the future.

Kamala Harris has, I think,## been a spectacular candidate.

I know she# has been, and I look forward to her success.## Whether the -- however the election turns out# because of the targeted states and all that,## I know she will have won the campaign for a strong# message, how we go forward for our country, that,## right now, today, we're seeing# college campuses turning out.

And in Pennsylvania, you see many Puerto# Rican, in the three Puerto Rican wards,## record numbers of people turning out.

And just# to close on that, one of your reporters talked## about Pennsylvania and saying that he said there# was corruption in the election in Philadelphia.

The Republican commissioner of the elections... AMNA NAWAZ: That's right.

REP. NANCY PELOSI: ... in Penn.. is not true, there is no evidence# of that.

I did hear him say that.

GEOFF BENNETT: You know, Madam Speaker, the# country is deeply divided on a range of issues.

What do you think are the biggest challenges# in trying to bridge that divide after this## election?

Because no matter who wins,# half the country is going to be upset.

REP. NANCY PELOSI: Well, I think# that we -- that's really a very## good question, because we have to# be unifying.

That's the way it is.

And I don't think we're as divided as we# are mischaracterized in terms of all of## this.

So I do think that Kamala Harris, as she# said, I will invite my opponents to the table,## as Lincoln did, to his Cabinet.

And# I'm sure she will do that as well.

But the -- we have to go back to our roots.

What# is our purpose as a country?

We are a democracy.## We have always had a difference of opinion# since the beginning of our country as to the## role of the federal government and# the role of the state government,## this or that.

That's a legitimate debate to have.

But when it moves into threatening# violence and the rest of that,## that's not a place to be.

And I would hope that# some more people would speak out against it.## I'm very proud of some of the Republicans# who have, Liz Cheney and so many others.

But, again, let's listen to each other, let's# come together, and we have a responsibility to## reach across the aisle, to have transparency# about what our differences are, and to have## accountability for what we're there to do.# And it's not so much about people saying,## oh, they can't get -- no, it's something that# they -- obstruction that they have put forth,## because they don't believe in governance.

They don't.

They don't believe in science.

They# don't.

So if science -- government -- science## says you should do this to save the planet# for the children, and governments say,## this is the protections that we need, two# no's do not make a yes.

For our children,## the babies that we see now, the little# children, they will live to the next century.

We have to make sure they have a planet# that is healthy and safe, that they have## a democracy that is strong and strong and# consistent with the vision of our founders,## the sacrifice of our men and women# in uniform, and, of course, again,## the aspirations of our children, and that# we have a society that is fair and is equal.

And it used to be that way.

Just had# differences of opinion, not what's-his-name,## the former president, has poisoned the atmosphere# with.

But I think we just get on with it.

GEOFF BENNETT: All right, Speaker Emerita Nancy# Pelosi, thank you so much for joining us... and furthering this# tradition of having you join us tonight.

REP. NANCY PELOSI: Nice to see you.

We# will see what the results are later.

AMNA NAWAZ: We will see.

REP. NANCY PELOS..