House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is second in the line of succession behind Vice President Mike Pence – but she said she gets information about President Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis like most Americans do, according to a report.
“We’re getting our information the way everyone else is — in the media,” Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” when asked Sunday whether she was satisfied with the communication from the White House about Trump’s health status, Politico reported.
“But in terms of the succession, that’s an ongoing process. Sadly at this time, it comes to the forefront,” added Pelosi, who is second after Pence and ahead of Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley in the line of succession.
“Our prayers are with the president and the first lady and all those who surround him,” she said. “Hopefully, the contact tracing will give us an idea who needs to be treated so that the toll of this terrible virus isn’t even worse than it is.”
The speaker also said she prayed for the president’s good health, adding that she hoped “it will be a signal that we really have to do better in preventing the spread of this virus.”
She said she was “not interested” in what impact his diagnosis has on the election.
Instead, she said she cared about “what impact will it be on coming to the table with us” and “doing what we have to crush the virus, listen to science, have the public-private role that needs to be done to crush the virus.
“So, hopefully and prayerfully, and we wouldn’t pray if we didn’t believe there was a chance that there could be an answer,” Pelosi said. “And, so I pray that in addition to his health, that the president’s heart will be open to the millions of people who have been affected.”
Pelosi also was asked about the president’s tweet this weekend in which he said the nation needs a stimulus package as it continues to confront the pandemic.
“OUR GREAT USA WANTS & NEEDS STIMULUS. WORK TOGETHER AND GET IT DONE. Thank you!” Trump tweeted.
Pelosi said Democrats “want to see that they will agree on what we need to do to crush the virus so that we can open the economy and open our schools safely.”
Last week, Pelosi met with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in an effort to reach an agreement on an additional aid package. The effort stalled but the two continue to negotiate, CNN reported.
House Democrats have voted to pass their own package, which has slim chances of being considered in the Republican-majority Senate.