House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) explained in an interview published Monday that it is "essential" that Democrats retain control of the House and said she fears for American democracy if Republicans were to take control of the House following the midterm elections.
During an interview with Time magazine's Molly Ball amid a virtual ceremony to award the 2022 Robin Toner prizes for political journalism, Pelosi noted the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and former President Donald Trump's control of the GOP.
"It is absolutely essential for our democracy that we win," Pelosi said. "I fear for our democracy if the Republicans were ever to get the gavel. We can't let that happen."
She also downplayed indications that Republicans are bound to retake the House in November. Republicans need to flip just five seats to retake the House and the party in control of the White House historically loses seats during midterm elections.
"I don't have any intention of the Democrats losing the Congress in November," Pelosi said.
Noting initial predictions by political analysts that redistricting could harm Democrats' chances of holding onto their majority in the House since most state legislatures are GOP-controlled, the Speaker went as far as to say that Democrats will even pick up seats in the 2022 midterms.
"Everybody said redistricting was going to be horrible for the Democrats. Remember that? Not so. Not so. If anything, we'll pick up seats rather than lose 10 to 15, which conventional wisdom said that we would. There's nothing conventional anymore, and it certainly ain't wisdom," she said.
The Supreme Court gave a win to Democrats earlier this month when it allowed North Carolina and Pennsylvania redistricting maps selected by each state's Supreme Court to be used for the 2022 elections. The maps in the two states are more favorable to Democrats.
And Democrat-controlled state legislatures in states like New York and Illinois have completed congressional redistricting maps that also favor the Democratic Party.
But recent polling spells trouble for Democrats in November. An NBC News poll from over the weekend has President Joe Biden with just a 40 percent approval rating. The poll also gave Republicans a two-point edge in voters' preference for which party they hope controls Congress following the upcoming elections.
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