Meghan McCain Admits She 'Underestimated' Pelosi: 'I Was Wrong'

Meghan McCain on Sunday admitted she misjudged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) ahead of the government shutdown, and praised her as a political force to be reckoned with.

“I was one of the people that was saying that Nancy Pelosi was not the right speaker going forward, that they needed leadership change,” McCain, an ABC News contributor, said during a panel discussion on “This Week.” “I’m here saying I was wrong, I completely underestimated how powerful and how strong she is.”

McCain’s defense of Pelosi followed an accusation by President Donald Trump’s 2016 deputy campaign manager David Bossie that the House speaker cost the U.S. economy $6 billion because of the 35-day shutdown ― more than the $5.7 billion Trump is demanding for his border wall. It was actually Trump who shut down the government by failing to sign funding legislation.

McCain, co-host of “The View” and daughter of late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), called Pelosi “someone who can actually call him on his bluff.” That, she said, is something “Democrats haven’t been able to do so far.”

Lawmakers have three weeks to reach a deal on border security before funding to operate the government runs out again. Meanwhile, Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) remain opposed to Trump’s wall demand.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.