Psaki urged emerging Democrats to 'seize the mantle' as the party remains leaderless
Psaki says Democrats are in the 'wilderness' without a leader after Trump's victory
MSNBC host Jen Psaki told 'Meet the Press' that Democrats will need to find regain their footing after Kamala Harris was defeated in the presidential election.
MSNBC host Jen Psaki said the Democratic Party is lost in the "wilderness" and without a leader after Kamala Harris' stunning defeat to President-elect Donald Trump.
In an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday, Psaki was asked how Democrats regain their footing and begin to "chart their path forward" after losing the White House, Senate and House of Representatives.
"Look, I think Democrats are in the wilderness, as you just said before, there is no clear leader of the party. Joe Biden is going to be out of office shortly. Kamala Harris just lost the election. There are a lot of governors and other people who might emerge maybe that we don’t know about yet, but there is no clear leader of the party right now," she said.
JEN PSAKI HITS BACK AT LEFT'S RACIST BLAME GAME FOR HARRIS' LOSS: ‘THAT’S NOT HOW DEMOCRACY WORKS'
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 08: Jen Psaki speaks onstage during Jen Psaki in Conversation with Lawrence O’Donnell - Say More: Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World at 92NY on May 08, 2024 in New York City. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
The former White House press secretary said Harris' loss offers an opportunity for emerging Democratic leaders to "seize the mantle" and take charge of a party still reeling from a series of devastating election defeats.
"That, to me is an opportunity because people have to decide. Nobody’s given it, right. You seize the mantle, or you don’t," Psaki said. "Are you going to be the person who decides who’s the right person to stand up against Trump? Or are you going to be the person who brings the country together? Are you going to be the person who talks about the economy and in ways that people understand? There are lots of ways to do it. I don’t know who’s going to emerge, but that’s the moment we’re in right now."
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House October 12, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Democrats continue to point fingers and play the blame game in their post-election analysis of why Harris lost. In a recent appearance on MSNBC, Psaki blamed the party for over-relying on "never-Trump" Republicans, arguing that they should've made more of an effort to reach disaffected Democratic voters.
She also blamed Democrats for a "huge misread" on how important the abortion issue was to millions of Americans in the country who ended up voting for Trump and urged her party to be "sober about" the reality that many voters who traditionally supported Democrats didn't turn out to support Harris on Election Day.
Fox News' Kristine Parks contributed to this report.
Yael Halon is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to
