Pelosi defiant on Election Day, says Democrats can hold the House

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke Tuesday on "PBS News Hour," telling host Judy Woodruff she saw a window for Democrats to hold control of the House of Representatives.

Pelosi said she "always objected" to the media portrayal of the battle for the lower chamber as a likely victory for the GOP. "We have far superior candidates. We own the ground out there today," she said.

"I think you'll be surprised," she said of Democratic prospects Tuesday night.

"We intend to win," Pelosi said when Woodruff asked how Democrats could stop the GOP from cutting entitlements while in the minority.

Woodruff asked about the party's messaging on Jan. 6 and its apparent inability to motivate voters. Pelosi asserted that "it was never planned as a political tactic" but asserted more people were saying "Democracy is on the ballot," referencing the last-minute election pitch that President Joe Biden made in a fiery speech earlier this month.

The House Speaker further asserted that Americans were doing better than two years ago, saying critics "suffocate the airwaves" with misinformation to convince the electorate otherwise.

"I'm not predicating any action on Democrats not winning tonight," she said on her prospective resignation as the party's lower chamber leader should they lose.