Nancy Pelosi: Socialism "is not the view of the Democratic Party"

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on CBS' "60 Minutes" Sunday night that it's an ongoing Republican theme to characterize Democratic policies as "socialist" — even dating back to Ronald Reagan and Medicare — but that she ultimately rejects socialism as an economic system and that it is "not the view of the Democratic Party."

Why it matters: Pelosi has frequently sought to downplay divisions within the House Democratic caucus, especially as some progressives like freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have pushed democratic socialism toward the mainstream. Pelosi dismissed the Ocasio-Cortez' wing of the party as "like five people," but it's worth noting that avowed democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders — though he's technically an independent — is among the favorites to win the Democratic nomination for president in 2020.

Go deeper: Exclusive poll shows young Americans are embracing socialism