>> brennan: welcome back to "face the nation" we want the continue our conversation with house democratic leader, nancy pelosi. in the next congress, there will be at least 100 women in the house. that's a record. we asked leader pelosi about the new freshmen class. >> 23 women that is majority then some of people of color and among those take us to bigger heights. i want to salute the quality of our candidates who took their message, why they wanted to be in congress, what they cared about what they knew and how they connected. those personal ways with their constituents.

we own -- people were inspired by them and outside group so much, door to door, telling stories about health care and why that was important in this election. so many other personal stories. personal stories won the day, health care was the big issue i'm here to protect the health care. in terms of diversity we used to be over 50% women, people of color and lgbtq now over 60% that's a beautiful thing, that diversity for our country. the additional people will be -- who will change the face of security in our country and not only our national security but our national economy. people say, have more women and more emphasis on child care, we already have that and we'll do more. but the point is that every issue is a woman's issues. >> brennan: one was protection of existing health care law, republicans and president have talked about pr

preexisting conditions, something they want to actually protect. what does that actually mean in practical sense, do you think that there is any room for r reform of aca, of obamacare? >> you have two questions. one is, the preexisting conditions as not being a barrier to getting coverage is part of the affordable care act. the republicans have tried to disrupt that, they did it in their trump compare or i don't care bill that he had, it was defeated. succeed in the congress now they're going to the courts, large number of republican attorneys general throughout the country have brought suit against preexisting condition benefit. and instead of protecting the law of the land, the president decided with the attorneys general eliminate that benefit. they misrepresented during the campaign where they were in th this, they have another chance now with us in the majority to

join us and to removing all doubt that the preexisting medical condition is the law -- is the law of the land. >> brennan: does this change anything for you in terms of your sense of needing to stay here? >> i'm staying as speaker to protect the affordable care act that's me main issue, that's again about the health and financial health of america's families. and has warned, nobody from california ever gets potomac fever. >> brennan: that's still your north star right now. >> what? >> brennan: protection of the affordable care act? >> hope we will have woman president very soon but that is not the fact that we almost had one would have been motivation for me to say there's a woman at the table. it's very important, cannot have four leaders of congress, president of the united states not have the voice of women.

especially since women were the majority of the voters, the workers and campaigns now part of glor russ victory. these women bring each their individual excellence to the congress and very proud -- when i came to congress there were 12 democratic women. i said we have to change that. new now have close to 90. that is major accomplishment for the american people, but also for the congress. >> brennan: how do you respond to those say still needs to be more vie verse tee in leadership, either age-wise, you look at the other two leaders alongside you, 78 years old. >> you need some of somebody be progressive. we had them in the leadership along the way, more will be in now that we have more positions. when you have majority and more positions, but our leadership doesn't just extend to the

caucus chair, that is leadership of our committees and our leadership of our committees we have beautiful diversity, women, people of color, lgbtq, it's a sight to behold to see all of that diversity, all of that talent leading the way. some of the people here like being the chair they would rather be chair of the caucus, be chair of the armed services committee or chair of the financial services. >> brennan: that's how you would resolve the question? >> people have to run. when i first ran, people said, who said she could run? nobody moved the path for me. i try to forge the math for others. you have to want to do it, policy-wise, what does that mean? policy-wise that means face of national security in that country will be very different and very diverse, many women coming in with experience in national security. we have many women here moving up in the ranks on national security. but make sure that everybody has

a security credential, all the different committees of jurisdiction in that regard. also mean that women will be taking the lead on our economy. >> brennan: when you said you're a transitional figure is that what you're transitioning towards, handing off to these women? >> i am on a mission. that mission was to honor what we did with affordable care act. it stands with social security, medicare, medicaid as pillars of economic, health security for the american people. when we had the opportunity to do it we fought hard and we won and now we have to protect it, not just as a legislative matter but as what it means in the lives of the american people. and so i think we're on a good path to protect, the center issues in this campaign. so many of the outside groups told their stories, walked their precinct, won their votes for us

to preserve the affordable care to preserve the affordable care act and improve it. >> brennan: we'll be right back with our panel. we have reduced those numbers by almost half, but despite the great progress that we have achieved, there are still too many veterans who still need a place to live. this project is a comprehensive rehabilitation of the center's facility here in downtown boston to create permanent supportive housing, transitional housing and service spaces, a facility that really delivers on society's commitment to people who have served in the military. citi® was the financial partner because they were able to come with the resources, both the capital resources and also the human resources, the experts in their fields, and without citi's partnership we probably would not be here where we are right now. the goal for us at this project is to be more effective in the services that we provide so that veterans who have committed to put their lives at risk to protect this country have a home in this country.

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cbs news. start off with you, we have these mid term elections tuesd tuesday, do we have final results from some of these other races that are out standing? >> first of all, welcome backs, glad to have you back. >> congrats, you're a new dad. >> yes. but the answer to your question is, no, there is no result. we should start with the big one in florida, of course, senate race where rick scott rain taken a lead. you can see just about as many people show up at a traffic jam in miami separate these two from first and second place. florida governor's race, arizona senate race what is notable democrat has pulled into the lead. talked to republicans in arizona they quietly conceit that sinema will hold on and lead. georgia governor's race, to see if ryan kelp gets below 50% in the congoing recounts he hasn't done that. handful of house races have not

yet been called. cbs and other networks slightly differently than associated press we're a little more cautious when those calls are made. and as speaker mentioned, speaker to be we presume more than 30 seats will be picked up by democrats, she'll grow the size of her caucus. notably, too, more than 100 women in the house which i think really transforms the governing dynamic up on capitol hill and make for interesting year. >> brennan: that's where we are in terms of the numbers. in terms of the opinion, some have very different views on where these races are, dan, the president has weighed in you heard senator lindsey graham also cast some doubt on what is happening in florida and integrity of that election there. >> the president weighed in and basically accused democrats of trying to steal both the election in florida and in arizona. without any evidence of theft or fraud. there are problems in some of the counties in florida which is

unfortunately not a new situation in florida. those of us who covered the 2000 recount remember all of the problems down there some have not been solved. but there is a -- counting often goes slowly and it takes sometimes days and weeks spin states to actually get a final vote on these elections. there's a process underway, it will be controlly watched at this point the opportunity for fraud will probably be quite minimal at this point given all the attention that's going on. but the president by doing that undermines faith in the basic process of our democracy. and it would be better obviously if people in positions of power let the process play out, there are a lot of people who think that the republicans likely will hold on to both of those tight races in florida, they are ahead narrowly but may have enough votes to old on. people should simply wait. >> brennan: biggest democrat

gain in the house 1974 and more women than we have ever seen winning elected office for this new congress. given this environment, does that change much? >> you know we'll have to see. i think that republicans know that they have led in the suburbs, republican leadership were encouraging the president before the election to tone down his heated rhetoric, he did not, they paid a price for it. the question here is, do republicans learn from it going forward. and the president in terms of looking hat 2020 thinks his own re-election is better. in a different election than house republicans would need. in terms of women coming to washington, i can tell that you on capitol hill there is already discussion about changing the campus to make sure they can accommodate all these women. and make sure that it's a friendly work environment for mothers, there's new baby changing tables in bathrooms for lawmakers, and there's talk about nursing stations around

the capitol. but again policy changes, you saw pelosi talk about health care, making that a key issue next year and i think that would be smart for them because republicans sort of trying to deflect a lot of attacks on health care by kaying, we do care about preexisting conditions when in fact they tried to repeal obamacare. >> brennan: sliding in the suburbs in terms of problem for the g.o.p. but mark, for the president as rachael just said, does this necessarily cause a change in tone, a change in behavior for him, because certainly after tuesday he seemed as combative as ever. >> if anything more combative. he came out and made this rather hapless effort to declare victory then when it became clear over ensuing days it had taking a setback. as rachel said, and dan, he went after the electoral process in florida, he went after the pre press, he went after the rule of law in a sense in putting mat

whitaker into a job in the justice department on acting basis that many people have profound problems with. so you really saw him shift to an aggressive stance on almost across the board. there are issues where the president has said he could work with the democratic house. infrastructure being one, potentially immigration. but the big question that i would have is, is the president going to be capable of compartmentalizing potentially productive work on the legislative side with an u unrelenting round of investigations that he now fac facessish a democrat-controlled house. i think that is emotionally going to be very difficult for him and he already made clear in the past week that if the democrats really investigate him aggressively, he will respond in a war-like way. they will try to investigate them. it's sort of difficult for where we sit based on watching his demeanor over the past three days to see how he shifts to a more cooperative, collaborative stance. feels like we're in for more and

more partisan combat. >> brennan: what should we expect in terms of cabinet member departures, jeff sessions that was telegraphed for months. >> i think the big one to watch out for is jim mattis, the defense secretary. you may recall the interview where the president said, well jim mattis is basically a democrat. so, the question is, does jim mattis really take this as a cue to either lead on his own steam or will the president now put pressure on him. john kelly, the chief of staff is another person to watch. john kelly has said that he's been asked to stay through 2020 we'll see whether that really happens. there's evidence his wings have already been clipped within the white house. i think the really consequential one is mattis. that is one that would have really a profound affect in foreign perceptions of the united states and in the foreign policy and the national security of this administration for its

last two years as a first term. >> brennan: how does that environment that we just heard describe shape up for the president? you've had already a number of the democrats who expect to be in leadership positions in the new congress say, they're read readying. >> while we watch the dynamics among the president and his staff, one of the more interesting subplots in washington over the next few months at least certainly will be bringing in that new wave of democrats, many of whom were elected on the idea that they want to come here and serve as a check on the president. a lot of younger people who were inspired to run because of him and their opposition to him and how they run into a leadership class led by or at least for now nancy pelosi, and older committee chairman and chairwoman who want to do a lot of this work but aren't necessarily want to go as far as lot of base democratic voters want them to go. the house judiciary committee chairman reiterated as has speaker-presumed pelosi that

they will only go in to impeac impeachment if the evidence is overwhelming and bipartisan support for doing so. that is a high bar, both of those. and i think that could create some early conflicts among democrats. you'll see them go after things like what was going on at epa when scott pruitt was there. why is secret service have to pay money at trump tower and mar-a-lago and go after the president's tax returns. each has potential up to set h him. >> brennan: republican controlled senate as back stop from that, more to talk about in a moment with our panel, anyway with us.

>> brennan: we want to discuss some explosive exchanges this week between the president and members of the white house press corps. >> that's enough. that's enough. i'm not responding. i'm responding -- excuse me. i'm not responding to you i'm talking to this gentleman, will you please sit down. excuse me, excuse me, would you please sit down. please go ahead. >> on the campaign trail you called yourself a nationalist, now people are -- >> i don't know -- that's such a racist question.

>> you want to reign in robert mueller? >> what ha stupid question that is. what a stupid question. but i watch you a lot. ask you a lot of stupid questions. >> mr. president -- >> brennan: the president there speaking about abby phillips of cnn who is a very smart journalist. you also heard jim acosta, abby ryan, all getting real fire from the president. what's happening here? the president always seems to be combative with the press but to many this seems a new level of aggression. >> i think that the mid-term election and the set back he suffered there has maybe changed his psychological frame and not for the better. we were used to this kind of a vexed relationship, we've had it with him from the start. but what you saw this past week was really very different order. stripping the credential of the cnn correspondent jim acosta

that is something that no recent president in memory has tried to do. and the attacks, verbal attacks on april ryan, abby phillips and others are particularly, i think, problematic because the three of them are african american women. for him to say to yamish a former colleague that asking him a very valid question about his inflammatory rhetoric is somehow a racist rhetoric i think really is at some level beyond the pa pale, likewise with abby, she asked valid question about the future of the mueller investigation under a new leadership at the department of justice. and april ryan who, by the way, wasn't even present for the session where he simply went after her presumably because she had tried to ask him a question at his press conference earlier in the week. these are all professional women doing their job the right way and for him to single them out and be so ad hominem i think is

a new level for those of us in the press corps have been used to this we're all stunned by what we saw this past week. >> brennan: dan, there is a lot to be said in parsing this, that the media shouldn't be talking about itself as much as we have been in terms of the aggressive line with the president. but tell us why this matters in the broader political sense? you did have some journalists organizations come out and criticize the phrasing of questions from the press s. there a policing that needs to be done or any way acceptable this kind of language? >> well, there's always self reflection that needs fob done by those of us in the press. and i think we all have to constantly think about what's the best way to do our job, particularly in a very difficult environment. i think every news organization and every reporter who covers stories like this does ask those questions. but that begs the issue of what the president has done, not just

this week and i agree with mark, this was another several levers up in his attacks on the press. but he has done it consistently and it is strategic on his part because it is designed to undermine the validity of a free press. secondly, we know that it i inflames his base supporters. i think everybody around this table gets e-mails from people who are very loyal to donald trump, who in fact believe that we take it as our job to try to undermine him. that is not the case. we hold people in power accountable whether they're republicans or democrats. we can be tough on presidents, we often are, presidents don't particularly like that. but most presidents or all previous presidents have reacted differently than president trump has. i think that is the issue. as mark said particularly, the attacks on three african american female correspondents, all of whom are professional in the way they approach their job

is another aspect of this that is even different from simply attacks on the press. >> he's taken on latino correspondents as well. for some of us, that isn't coincidence. i think that is part of what is troubling. one thing we need to point out with this president, like him or hate him, the press corps sees him and gets the question him more often than george w. bush and barack obama. >> very good point. >> brennan: rachael, sum this up here quickly, for those we're being overly sensitive there's nothing racist in what the president did. there was a lot of strain with the nationalist tones that were rewarded on the campaign trail. >> absolutely. i think race right now is lik like -- one of those top nation republicans -- it's hurting them right now when they hear and following the president, they're trying to distance themselves from the president but this keeps coming back and hurting them on the campaign trail. steve king and some of the rhetoric that has come out of

his mouth and it sort of divided the republican leadership about whether or not to back him or just not say anything and actually saw one republican leader, nrcc chair come out and say, listen, this rhetoric is not acceptable. we have to stand up against it, no other house republican leader did that. and he was re-elected. >> brennan: we have so much to digest from this week, i think all of us by the end of it. we're going to be right back here on "face the nation." stay with us. when i was shopping fothe choice was easy. i switched to geico and saved hundreds. excuse me... winner! that's a win. but it's not the only reason i switched. hi! geico has licensed agents who i can reach 24/7. great savings and round the clock service? now that's a win-win. winner. winner.

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>> brennan: that's it for us today. thank you for watching, it's great to be back with you. we'd like to thank all of the veterans who have served and protected this nation and those who are still on active duty.

we honor you today and every day. until next week, for "face the nation" i'm margaret brennan. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org here's to the stair takers, breakfast makers, step counters, outdoor explorers, faith restorers,

appointment keepers, fantastic creatures. farmer's market goers, cholesterol lowerers cell phone silencers. the new lease on lifers, and the positive thinkers. here's to you all that see every day as an opportunity to thrive your way.

more than two dozen are confirmed dead in california. thousands of homes are wiped out in the most destructive wildfire in the state's history. the dangerous weather fueling the firestorms is not letting up. also tonight, america's endless elections. still no decisions in major races in arizona and georgia-- and in florida, where recounts are now underway. >> never been a recount that's changed in florida or any or state-- any sort of win like that. >> morgan: president trump, in paris, gets lectured on the dangers of nationalism. online shoppers in china shatter