"Beto brought a great deal of vitality to the Congress," Pelosi said during a press briefing in the Capitol. "When he came, he came as a real champion for the environment, he got a great deal of support from the environmental community in his district. He won in a primary on that subject. Also, he was ... a strong member of the Armed Services Committee, which is very important for his district.

"So in preserving our planet and protecting our people, there are at least two areas in addition to his vitality."

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Yet O'Rourke's relatively short tenure on Capitol Hill has also raised questions about whether he has the political gravitas to make a credible run at the White House.

And Republicans are already trying to exploit his youthful persona with campaign emails portraying him as too inexperienced for the job.

Pelosi on Thursday rejected those criticisms, emphasizing that Trump had no political background before winning the White House in 2016.

Asked if O'Rourke's House tenure qualifies him for the presidency, Pelosi didn't hesitate.

"You ask me that when we have a president of the United States who never, you know," she said, trailing off. "Please."

"Yes. The answer is yes."