California Sen. Dianne Feinstein says she thinks President Donald Trump could be a good president — if he is able to change.

The revelation from California’s senior Democratic senator was a surprise to those in the audience for her appearance at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on Tuesday, especially because Feinstein has been a vocal critic of Trump from his 2016 campaign and throughout his presidency.

“The question is whether he can learn and change,” Feinstein said. “If so, I believe he can be a good president.”

Reporters present for KQED, the San Francisco Chronicle and The Mercury News all reported that jeers and boos came from the sold-out crowd at Herbst Theater after Feinstein made the comment.

https://twitter.com/scottshafer/status/902714879584256000

https://twitter.com/caseytolan/status/902712799519838208

“I think we have to have some patience, I do,” Feinstein said, according to KQED. “It’s eight months into the tenure of the presidency … We’ll have to see if he can forget himself and his feelings about himself enough to be able to have the empathy and direction that this country needs.”

The response to Feinstein’s remarks on social media was fast and kind of furious.

https://twitter.com/woodlandalyssa/status/902731765122347008

https://twitter.com/busyness/status/902913335926038529

https://twitter.com/NomNomGNOSH/status/902940729764433920

https://twitter.com/gabrielroth/status/902851276123320322

Mercury News reporter Casey Tolan made sure to point out on Twitter that for the vast majority of the event, Feinstein otherwise received a warm welcome including a standing ovation and big applause.

But her kind words toward Trump elicited a response from State Senate leader Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles), according to KQED, who said “we don’t have much patience for Donald Trump here in California. This president has not shown any capacity to learn and proven he is not fit for office.”

You can watch the full conversation with Feinstein below.

A Conversation About America and the World Senator Dianne Feinstein is one of the most accomplished women of our time, serving California in the U.S. Senate for nearly 25 years. D ...

Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @abbyhamblin