House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is facing both criticism and support within Democratic circles after news leaked of a private meeting he held with President Trump’s son-in-law. Some are condemning Jeffries for seeking areas of cooperation with the Trump administration, while others are defending the congressman and calling out the racial dynamics of the criticism against him.
Some Democrats rally around Jeffries after meeting with Kushner revealed
The New York Times reported that Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) and Jared Kushner met recently at a location provided by a mutual friend in New York City. The meeting, according to sources familiar with the situation, involved the two men catching up as well as discussing possible areas of cooperation between the Trump administration and Democrats after the midterm elections. Jeffries and Kushner, the story points out, worked together on criminal justice reform during Trump’s first term. The conversation comes with the backdrop of Democrats likely retaking the House, and possibly the Senate, in November, with Jeffries set to become Speaker of the House. The discussion between Jeffries and Kushner centered on possible cooperation on policy issues such as immigration, housing and affordability.
Some prominent Democrats have supported the meeting. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who was endorsed by Jeffries one week before winning the city’s 2025 mayoral election but has been on the opposite side of Jeffries during the Democratic primary season, expressed his support for Jeffries. “I continue to support Congressman Jeffries and his bid to become the leader,” said Mamdani, who had a high-profile meeting with Trump shortly after his election in order to discuss common interests.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen said, “I’m in favor of people meeting with whoever they want to discuss ideas.” The Maryland Democrat added, however, “it’s one thing to have a meeting. It’s another thing to see something real come out of that.” Some members of the GOP also praised the meeting. Rep. Beth Van Duyne said “Congratulate them for that.” The Texas Republican added “It seems like they can’t win for losing. If they talk to Democrats, they get criticized. If they don’t talk to Democrats, they get criticized.”
Democratic anger at Jeffries met with claims of double standard
The positive comments about the meeting come in the face of criticisms, especially targeted at Jeffries. Journalist Jim Acosta quoted an unnamed House Democrat as saying that some members of the party were taking Jeffries’ meeting as “a signal that Dems will go easy on all the Trump corruption again, ala Merrick Garland,” referring to Biden’s former Attorney General who has been criticized by Democrats for not prosecuting Trump more vigorously.
Longtime Democratic strategist James Carville called out Jeffries on behalf of the Democratic Party for meeting with a member of Trump’s inner circle. “In the opinion of every Democrat in the US, we believe one thing above all: these people are a pack of felons and traitors and you do not meet with them,” Carville angrily declared.
Journalist Mehdi Hasan has condemned Jeffries over the meeting in a series of social media posts, saying in one “This is just pathetic stuff from the House Dem leader.”
Hasan doubled down on his criticisms of Jeffries against accusations that race had a role to play in his assessment of the congressman. “For some loud but thankfully unrepresentative Black Dems on this hellsite to now claim that anti-Black racism is behind the very understandable anger at Jeffries for secretly meeting with Kushner is just so pathetic and dishonest, and the worst expression of Republican-caricatured ‘identity politics,'” Hasan proclaimed.
This defense was not persuasive to commentators including Jamesetta Williams, who replied “Mehdi, you are out of line here. You don’t speak for Black voters. The racial sensitivity around the first Black minority leader should be clear to you.” Williams added that Hasan has “admitted to clear biases around Jeffries meeting with republicans that you haven’t applied to Mamdani or others,” alluding to the positive reception that then mayor-elect Mamdani received for his cordial meeting with Trump last November.
In the midst of the vocal back and forth surrounding Jeffries’ meeting and overall leadership, the congressman responded, posting a video addressing the meeting and his upcoming plans. Offering some “real talk on this Jared Kushner situation,” Jeffries said that Kushner requested the meeting and that they discussed the “affordability crisis that exists that is not a hoax.” Despite the meeting, Jeffries declared “No one is going to get a pass. We’re going to hold every single member of the Trump cartel accountable, beginning on day one.” Jeffries pledged that he would continue to “battle” the administration, pointing to the firings of Trump cabinet members Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem as victories. “And we’re just getting started,” Jeffries declared, while also holding that leaders in Washington have “a responsibility to address” the affordability crisis.
Jeffries’ stance of both working with and opposing the Trump administration is being accepted as pragmatic leadership by some members of his party, even as others criticize him for having any cordial contact with anyone close to Trump. As the midterm elections quickly approach, time will soon tell whether Jeffries will ascend to the top leadership position within the House and what that might mean for Democrats in their fights against the Trump administration.