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'Don't Mess With Me': Speaker Pelosi Snaps Back At Reporter Who Asked If She Hates Trump

(CNN) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a scathing warning Thursday to a reporter who asked her a question about her feelings about President Donald Trump: "Don't mess with me."

As Pelosi was walking away from the microphone at the end of her weekly news conference on Capitol Hill, a reporter asked her: "Do you hate the President, Mrs. Speaker?"

Pelosi stopped and said: "I don't hate anybody."

She then walked back to the microphone, and said that while she believes Trump is a "coward," that's only about his political positions.

"I think this President is a coward when it comes to helping our kids who are afraid of gun violence," she said. "I think that he is cruel when he doesn't deal with helping our Dreamers, of which we are very proud of. I think he is in denial about the climate crisis. However, that's about the election."

LIVE UPDATES: Pelosi asks House to proceed with articles of impeachment

She continued: "This is about the Constitution of the United States and the facts that lead to the President's violation of his oath of office. And as a Catholic, I resent your using the word 'hate' in a sentence that addresses me. I don't hate anyone."

"So don't mess with me when it comes to words like that," she said before walking off the podium.

Pelosi is leading her caucus' efforts to impeach Trump and the House Judiciary Committee announced Thursday its next impeachment hearing will be on Monday.

The-CNN-Wire
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