House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) implicitly acknowledged the criticism she's received over calling tax reform benefits for working-class people "crumbs" on Thursday but stood by it, saying "I'll repeat that."
Pelosi called the tax reform legislation passed by Republicans and signed into law by President Donald Trump a "cloud" hanging over Washington, again referring to it as a "tax scam."
"Tax cuts at the high end. A banquet for everyone up here," she said, using her hands. "Crumbs for people down here. I'll repeat that."
Dozens of companies have announced bonuses and wage hikes in response to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that became law in December, which dramatically cut corporate tax rates, but Pelosi and other Democrats have charged the bill gives too much of its benefits to the top 1 percent of earners.
Pelosi is owning her crumbs comment.
"A banquet for everyone up here, crumbs for everyone down there. I’ll repeat that."
— Erica Werner (@ericawerner) February 15, 2018
Pelosi called the bonuses "crumbs" in her briefing last month and has since repeated the term several times. Republicans have used the clip in ads to portray Pelosi, a multimillionaire, as out of touch with working-class people who were pleased to get the bonuses.
Republican Sen. Cory Gardner (Colo.) and White House budget director Mick Mulvaney mocked Pelosi over the "crumbs" comments when Mulvaney testified Tuesday about the White House's proposed budget.
Trump likened Pelosi's rhetoric to Hillary Clinton's "basket of deplorables" comments during the 2016 campaign.