While House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has long worked to tamp down a push toward impeachment of Donald Trump among her House Democrats, that is not because she’s absolutely opposed to impeachment.

Rather, she’s exercising “strategic patience,” according to Howard Dean, a former presidential hopeful and ex-chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

“But the fact of the matter is, what I think what Pelosi’s doing is brilliant, actually, she’s letting the momentum build,” Dean said in an on-air TV appearance. “I don’t think she’s resisting it at much as you said she was. That’s the story line.”

Pelosi has continued to resist impeachment even as a growing number of Democrats are pushing for it in recent weeks as current and former Trump administration officials resist lawful congressional subpoenas.

Publicly, the speaker talks about how “divisive” impeachment could be for the nation.

“I think it’s strategic patience. Look, Pelosi has not missed a step. She’s the one person who has got Donald Trump’s number in Washington,” Dean added. “She hasn’t missed a step yet. I think it’s great that people are calling for impeachment in the House. I don’t think that’s a problem. I think Pelosi’s playing her hand exactly right.”