House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries lashed out at White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt after she accused Democrats of representing “Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens and violent criminals.” Jeffries denounced Leavitt’s statement as “demented,” “ignorant,” and a “stone-cold lie,” expressing outrage that a senior administration official would make such remarks amid a government shutdown. He argued that the Trump administration’s rhetoric reflects why they are “on the wrong side of public sentiment.”
The shutdown began after Democrats voted against a Republican-backed continuing resolution (CR) that excluded Biden-era Affordable Care Act subsidies. Only a handful of Democrats and independents supported keeping the government open. President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance claimed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer opposed the bill out of fear of a potential primary challenge from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized CNN for questioning whether she planned to run against Schumer, adding to tensions within the Democratic Party.
Key Points
- Hakeem Jeffries called Karoline Leavitt “demented” and “ignorant” after her remarks about Democrats.
- The government shutdown followed Democrats’ opposition to a GOP funding bill without ACA subsidy extensions.
- Trump and Vance suggested Chuck Schumer’s vote was motivated by fear of a primary challenge from Ocasio-Cortez.
Hakeem Jeffries Goes On Angry Rant About Karoline Leavitt After She Dissed Democrats Over Shutdown
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Friday of being “demented” and “ignorant” after she criticized the Democratic Party’s “main constituency.”
Democrats have raged at Leavitt for stating on Thursday that the Democratic Party is made up of “Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens and violent criminals” as she criticized them for keeping the government shut down. Jeffries also told reporters that Leavitt was a “stone-cold liar” and shifted blame toward Republicans and the White House for the shutdown.
“And then you’ve got Karoline Leavitt, who’s sick. She’s out of control,” Jeffries said. “And I’m not sure whether she’s just demented or ignorant, stone-cold liar or all of the above. But the notion that an official White House spokesperson would say that the Democratic Party consists of terrorists, violent criminals and undocumented immigrants. This makes no sense that this is what the American people are getting from the Trump administration in the middle of a shutdown. So their actions continue to speak for themselves which is why they’re on the wrong side of public sentiment.”
WATCH:
Almost all of the Democrats voted to shut the government down on Oct. 1 after the Republicans attempted to pass a continuing resolution (CR) that did not include an extension of Biden-era subsidies in the Affordable Care Act. Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and independent Maine Sen. Angus King, who caucuses with Democrats, voted to keep the government open.
Democrats had previously voted for the same CR in past sessions. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who voted for the shutdown, previously said in September 2024 that a shutdown would make the average American “suffer most,” including those on Social Security.
President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance said that Schumer voted to shut the government down because he is afraid of Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez launching a primary challenge against him. Ocasio-Cortez and Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders lashed out at CNN’s Kaitlan Collins during a Wednesday town hall for asking if Ocasio-Cortez is considering running for his seat.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.