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DETROIT (FOX 2) - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took the stage at the national NAACP convention in Detroit, addressing America's current racial climate and how to defeat president Trump in 2020.
This year the NAACP said it's focusing on fighting against what they call the growing climate of racism and hate. FOX 2 had a chance to ask Pelosi about the president's comments about four Democratic women of color.
"We condemned the president remarks, and they were remarks that were racist," she said.
After addressing a crowd at Cobo, she was welcomed by fellow Democratic Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence who facilitated a "woman to woman" discussion at the Detroit club, tackling affordable healthcare, maternal mortality and a livable wage -- namely raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. It's a move the House voted to approve last week.
"We have a big challenge in our country. It's the disparity in income in America," she said. "For us, passing the minimum wage was not a piece of legislation about a wage. It was a values debate that we were in."
A small group of protestors outside Cobo echoed the simmering strife over a group of four Democratic congress woman of color, who Trump attacked with remarks that some felt were racist.
"Our leadership with Nancy Pelosi is not good enough. We need better to win 2020," said Bridget Huff, a progressive Democrat protesting Pelosi.
But they also represent a more progressive left wing of the party that some believe to be at ideologically at odds with the center and the speaker.
"We need voices of color to be allowed to lead. We need her to support the squad and every policy that they represent," Huff said.
"That's the beauty of our caucus -- that we are so different. I say to the members, our diversity is our strength. Our unity is our power," Pelosi said.
On Monday, the president stuck to his line on the so called "squad" of four women, continuing to say these congresswomen are bad for America.
"I think they're very bad four our country, I really think they must hate our country," he said.
On Wednesday, Democratic presidential candidates will participate in a forum.