Washington (CNN)House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Wednesday that President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell "should not try to hide behind an excuse" in response to the suggestion from both the President and the Kentucky Republican that impeachment distracted the US government from the growing coronavirus crisis.
"I think that's an admission that perhaps the President and the majority leader cannot handle the job," Pelosi told CNN's Anderson Cooper in an interview.
"We have a life and death situation in our country and they should not try to hide behind an excuse for why they did not take action, but it does admit that they did not take action," Pelosi said, adding, "Right now we have to work together to get the job done."
In an interview on Tuesday with radio host Hugh Hewitt, McConnell said that the crisis "came up while we were tied down in the impeachment trial. And I think it diverted the attention of the government, because everything, every day was all about impeachment."
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Trump echoed that argument, saying that impeachment "probably did" distract him from responding to the coronavirus outbreak.
Read More
"I think I handled it very well, but I guess it probably did (distract me)," Trump said. "I mean, I got impeached. I think, you know, I certainly devoted a little time to thinking about it."
Democrats float potential infrastructure package as part of Congress' next response to coronavirus
He added, "Did it divert my attention? I think I'm getting A+'s for the way I handled myself during a phony impeachment, OK? ... But certainly, I guess, I thought of it and I think I probably acted -- I don't think I would have done any better had I not been impeached, OK?"
This story is breaking and will be updated.
Paid Content
Use This Tool To Access Hundreds of New Streaming Titles When You… thetopfivevpn.com
Instantly unblock Gmail, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram &… expressvpn
Julia Roberts Spends $8.3M on a Century-Old San Francisco Victorian Mansion Global
Millions Of People Are Using This App To Learn A Language In 2020 Babbel
Health Neurosurgeon who separated conjoined twins dies from…
Politics CNN's Chris Cuomo presses Gov. Andrew Cuomo on running for…
U.S. A Minnesota trooper pulled over a doctor for speeding. Then he gave…
U.S. The doctor in the viral photo with his son behind glass has lost his…
Politics Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon disagree over live news coverage…
New-Build in Beverly Hills With Outdoor Space and Impressive… Mansion Global
Steve Wynn Asks $135 Million for Lavish, 11-Bedroom Estate Mansion Global
Paid Content
What’s Being Done to Reduce High Property Taxes in Illinois? Mansion Global Learning a new language this year? – This app gets you speaking… Babbel Netflix Users - Access Hundreds of New Titles Using This Tool! ExpressVPN
More from CNN
Don Lemon fights back tears talking about Cuomo's diagnosis Doctors in Spain use 'desperate' measures to fight coronavirus Italy announces biggest single-day jump in new coronavirus cases The deep leadership flaw revealed by Trump touting his…
Recommended by