West Virginia state Sen. Richard Ojeda (D) said in an interview that aired Tuesday on “Rising” that Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) were not truly in line with the party.
“Look, Schumer and Waters and Pelosi, they are not in line with what the Democratic Party is supposed to be,” Ojeda, who lost his bid for Congress last week, told Hill.TV’s Buck Sexton and Krystal Ball on Monday.
“The Democratic Party is supposed to be the party that looks out for the working-class citizens. That’s what they do. We don’t have that today. They’re the party that believes that we got to take care of our elderly. We got to fight to protect Social Security. We got to take care of our sick. We need to give people a form of, nonaddictive form of pain management. We need to take care of our veterans. If I’m going to send you away and break you, I’m going to fix you when you come home. And we got to create opportunities for those who live in poverty that elevate themselves out of poverty with a hand up,” he continued.
“I definitely do not see anyone doing that, and that’s something that’s got to change. That’s what I believe a Democrat truly is, and that’s why I will remain a Democrat, and I will always be a Democrat,” he said.
Hill.TV has reached out to Schumer, Pelosi, and Waters for comment.
Ojeda, who once supported President Trump, announced in the same interview that he was launching a presidential bid to challenge Trump in 2020, joining what could be a crowded primary field.
— Julia Manchester
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