Heidi Gutman/CNBC/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
- While interviewing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on live television, CNBC’s Jim Cramer accidentally refers to her as “Crazy Nancy,” a pejorative term used by President Donald Trump.
- After Cramer used the term, he immediately said that he was using the words of the president and that he held a high regard for the office of the speaker.
- Cramer said that he “would never use that term,” but Pelosi responded with a laugh and said, “You just did.”
- Pelosi was appearing on CNBC to discuss updates on pending coronavirus relief legislation that has been stalled, with major spending disagreements between Democrats and Republicans.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
While interviewing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on live television, CNBC’s Jim Cramer accidentally referred to her as “Crazy Nancy,” a derogatory term frequently used against her by President Donald Trump.
Cramer, who immediately backtracked, said that he was using the president’s words and not his and reiterated that he respected her position.
“What deal can we have, Crazy Nancy?” Cramer said. “I’m sorry, that was the president, I have such reverence for the office I would never use that term.”
Pelosi responded with a laugh, saying, “but you just did…but you just did.”
“You know what I mean,” Cramer said. ” You know what I mean. The reverence I have for the office is so great.”
"Anything that the president says is a projection of his own insecurities," Pelosi added. "He calls other people crazy because he knows he is."
—The Recount (@therecount) September 15, 2020
Pelosi, a California Democrat, was speaking to Cramer about pending coronavirus relief legislation that has been stalled in Congress for weeks. The appetite for spending between the Democratic-led House and Trump administration officials like Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House Chief of State Mark Meadows, who are key negotiators for the White House and are working with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, still remains wide.
There have been several proposals floated for coronavirus relief since late July, when a federal pandemic unemployment compensation (FPUC) benefit expired that had provided $600 per week to people collecting unemployment. At the time, the two parties were more than $1 trillion apart in their proposals. Since then, the president signed executive orders on unemployment insurance, evictions and foreclosures, the payroll tax, and student loans, but there haven't been any direct stimulus payments issued since earlier this year and the FPUC benefit is still expired.
On Tuesday, a bipartisan group of lawmakers unveiled a new $1.5 trillion stimulus plan that included a second round of $1,200 checks and the reinstatement of federal unemployment benefits.
Before ending the interview, Cramer once again tried to make amends with Pelosi.
"You know I was being facetious when I used the term involving you," Cramer said.
"Of course I do," Pelosi responded, with a smile.