House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) refused on Sunday to condemn a Democratic colleague for making a crude joke earlier this week about White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway.
CNN host Jake Tapper played a clip from Wednesday night's Washington Press Club Foundation dinner in which Rep. Cedric Richmond (D., La.) made a crude comment about a viral picture of Conway, counselor to President Trump, kneeling on an Oval Office couch.
"You even mentioned Kellyanne and that picture on that sofa," Richmond said during his speech to Republican Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.). "I really want to know what was going on there because she really looked kind of familiar in that position there, but don't answer."
"So Leader Pelosi, the joke is sexist. It was disgusting. Shouldn't the congressman apologize to Kellyanne Conway, and honestly, where is the Democratic Party in expressing outrage about this?" Tapper asked.
Pelosi responded that she was not at the dinner and is just finding out about the comments. She then dodged the issue by referencing President Trump's "Access Hollywood" tape leaked during the presidential campaign last year in which he made lewd comments about women.
"You all are criticizing Cedric for something he said in the course of the evening, and he maybe should be criticized for that," Pelosi said. "I just don't know the particulars, but I do every day marvel at the fact that somebody said the gross and crude things that President Trump said. He wouldn't even be allowed in a frat house and he's in the White House."
Tapper was not satisfied with that answer and said the media covered the tape extensively during the 2016 campaign.
"If one criticizes only Republicans when they make crude comments, does that not undermine the moral authority if they don't criticize when Democrats make crude comments?" Tapper asked.
Pelosi suggested that "everybody" was making crude comments. She then repeated that she was not at the dinner and would look into Richmond's remarks.