Jen Psaki Makes First MSNBC Appearance Since Hiring, Says Democrats Have ‘Flipped’ Midterm Election Dynamic

Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki made her first appearance on MSNBC since joining the network on Monday.

Appearing on Tuesday’s Alex Wagner Tonight, Psaki addressed whether Democrats will maintain control of Congress.

“We talked about abortion being an animating factor here,” Wagner said, referencing Sen. Lindsey Graham’s bill that would ban abortion in the United States after 15 weeks of pregnancy, as well as the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down a constitutional right to abortion in June.

“In these ways, these midterms may end up being a referendum on Republican power more so than Democratic power,” Wagner told Psaki. “Do you see it that way?”

“Absolutely,” Psaki replied. “And that is remarkable if you think about it. If you look back on the NBC poll in January, Democrats were not that into the midterms. They just weren’t that into it.”

Psaki claimed the dynamic has been turned on its head.

“It’s largely flipped now,” she said. “The anger is among the members of the Democratic Party, which is the party in power, which is so rare for that to be the case. People are enthused, they’re engaged, they want to get out and vote, they want to participate in the process.”

Wagner said the mood among Democrats feels similarly to when Donald Trump was president and that they’re concerned “basic freedoms are being infringed upon.” She pointed to the ongoing investigations into him that have kept him in the national spotlight.

“Well, nothing’s more of a driving and excitement factor like Donald Trump for Democrats,” Psaki said. “They love to be opposed to him, because they are. Independents, many, don’t want to see another reign of Trump. And the more he engages in the race, the more he puts himself out there, the more it’s a reminder of what’s at stake to people.”

She added, “I’ll also say, since you asked me broadly about the midterms, that while I think a lot of Democrats are feeling better – as they should – there’s a long way to go here. If the election were tomorrow, I think the House would be an uphill battle. That would be a bit of a leap. The Senate is more of a tossup, but there’s different dynamics in each of these races that we should be paying close attention to.”

Watch above via MSNBC.