House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., conceded it be will "difficult to overcome" FBI Director's James Comey late election cycle announcement he was investigating new Hillary Clinton emails found on Anthony Weiner's laptop, The Hill reported Tuesday.
"We hope to overcome it, but . . . I'll be very honest with you, it's difficult to overcome that," she told reporters at Democratic campaign headquarters in Washington, per the Hill, adding that bombshell put a crimp in the Democratic Party's lead in the presidential race and their hopes to winning back a majority in the House.
"This is like a Molotov cocktail just thrown into a very explosive arena."
Pelosi said "wittingly or unwittingly, what [Comey] did was wrong," before later backing off the above contention Comey "tanked" the Democrat's chances — instead he "blew up 'the system,'" she said, according to the Hill.
Comey's letter had an indirect effect on the down-ballot races for Democrats, she told the Hill, because they had hoped for a Clinton presidential blowout aiding the party in Senate and House races.
"The opportunity to win the House was predicated on a big victory for Mrs. Clinton," Pelosi told the Hill. "When her numbers narrowed, so did that prospect for the House and for the Senate."
Pelosi said she saw Democrats surging to close the House gap on the GOP before the Comey letter to Congress on Clinton's email. Sunday's ensuing announcement the new emails would not change the stance to not charge the Democratic presidential nominee was too little, too late.
"He's now backed off," she said, "but [it's] a little late."