Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told the New York Times that the Democrats wouldn't have lost the House if New York politicians recognized that crime was a top issue in the state.
Pelosi also said in an interview with New York Times opinion columnist Maureen Dowd that Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., did not realize the crime issue "soon enough."
"That is an issue that had to be dealt with early on, not 10 days before the election," Pelosi told the New York Times. "The governor didn’t realize soon enough where the trouble was."
Hochul defeated Republican Lee Zeldin in the state's gubernatorial race in November after Zeldin gained some ground and made crime in New York a key issue for his campaign.
MSNBC'S STEPHANIE RUHLE CLASHES WITH GOV. KATHY HOCHUL OVER CRIME IN NEW YORK: ‘WE DON’T FEEL SAFE'
Hochul claimed Zeldin was trying to scare people on crime ahead of the November midterm elections and said it was part of the Republican playbook.
She also called Republicans "master manipulators" on crime and claimed the GOP was pushing a "conspiracy" with the crime issue.
"These are master manipulators. They have this conspiracy going all across America trying to convince people that in Democratic states that they’re not as safe. Well guess what? They’re also not only election deniers, they’re data deniers," she said in November.
Hochul acknowledged a crime problem days later and said she had been working on crime throughout her time as governor.
LEE ZELDIN, GOV. KATHY HOCHUL DUKE IT OUT OVER CRIME IN FIERY DEBATE AMID SURGE IN NEW YORK VIOLENCE
Dowd also asked Pelosi if she believed the president, who would be 86 at the end of his term, should make way for new leadership as well.
The former House speaker said that President Biden had done a great job but added that age was not a "positive thing" for him.
"I think Jill is ready to go, for him to run," she said.
Pelosi told Dowd that Biden was not the only Democrat that could beat former president Donald Trump in 2024.
"I think we have other great candidates when the time comes," she said.
