Pelosi: My following in this country is unsurpassed by anybody

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) hit back on Thursday at speculation that her leadership position was in danger, saying that her following in the U.S. is “unsurpassed by anybody.”

“I can take the heat and that’s why I stay in the kitchen,” Pelosi told the Associated Press. “I have a following in the country that’s unsurpassed by anybody, unless they’re running for president.”  

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Pelosi faces unprecedented opposition to her position in Democratic leadership, with Republicans and President Trump attempting to position her as a villain and with dozens of Democrats lining up to oppose her quest for Speaker if the party wins back control of the House in this year’s midterms. 

Pelosi repeatedly has insisted that she believes Democrats will retake the House and that she intends to be her party’s leader when that happens.

But an NBC News report earlier this month tallied 57 Democratic House candidates — including 11 incumbents — who said they would not support Pelosi’s speakership.

Other Democrats have expressed interest in the House’s top job.

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) is reportedly eyeing the role and Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) has said that he will run for the speakership if Pelosi fails to garner necessary support.

Some younger lawmakers have mused whether the party would do well to seek fresh leadership. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), 45, who challenged Pelosi in 2016, has not ruled out another run, the AP reported.

Still, Pelosi appears undaunted, according to AP. 

“It’s immodest of me to say, but I say to women now, ‘Just go for it.’ Tell them why you think you’re the best person to do this job,” she told the news outlet. “I want to be an example to them, just to say, ‘Don’t run away from a fight.’ If you think you’re the one that should be there, you make the fight.”