Democrat Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is facing blowback after calling for supporters to fight President Donald Trump’s agenda not only legislatively but “in the streets.”
“Right now, we’re going to keep focused on the need to look out for everyday New Yorkers and everyday Americans who are under assault by an extreme MAGA Republican agenda that is trying to cut taxes for billionaire donors and wealthy corporations and then stick New Yorkers and working class Americans across the country with the bill,” Jeffries said during a press conference on Friday.
“That’s not acceptable. We are going to fight it legislatively. We’re going to going to fight it in the courts, and we’re going to fight it in the streets,” he added.
WATCH:
WATCH: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries calls for violence as he says people must "fight" President Trump's agenda "in the streets." pic.twitter.com/ZEEkhtIGbZ
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 31, 2025
The message does not seem to be new, mirroring similar messaging to House Democrats during a House Democratic Caucus virtual emergency meeting this week, discussing ways to oppose Trump’s MAGA agenda.
“House Democrats are now fully engaged. The bell has rung. I think we see this for the constitutional test that it is, and we’re going to be aggressively pushing back,” Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) said, according to the Hill.
“Leader Jeffries described it as a legal fight, a legislative fight and a street fight,” he said, adding, “And I couldn’t put it better.”
Democrat Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia described the move as a “broad call for action — and a vigorous one.”
But to some, Jeffries’s call to fight “in the streets” is all too reminiscent of the days of violence over the summer of 2020.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Trump’s Agenda: “we’re gonna fight it in the courts and we’re gonna fight it in the streets."
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 31, 2025
I look forward to Democrats condemning Hakeem Jeffries’ call for violence. pic.twitter.com/BSz2PfuebJ
.@RepJeffries just called for violence in the streets against President Trump’s agenda. @FBI needs to do their job. pic.twitter.com/Ibqx1Wc6GR
— Spitfire (@DogRightGirl) January 31, 2025
🚨BREAKING: Hakeem Jeffries just called for violence against President Trump's agenda, pushing for "fighting" in the streets:
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 31, 2025
"We're going to fight it legislatively. We're going to fight it in the courts. And we're going to fight it in the streets."
pic.twitter.com/IyuJi1kKFy
Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries is now calling for an insurrection against President Trump.
— George (@BehizyTweets) January 31, 2025
"We're going to fight it legislatively. We're going to fight it in the courts. And we're going to fight it in the streets."
pic.twitter.com/c9ekCxfJXx
This is the same Jeffries who, following Trump’s massive victory in November, denied that Republicans had any sort of mandate for drastic change.
“Despite the claims of some of my Republican colleagues who have spent a lot of time over the last two weeks talking about some big, massive mandate, I’m looking for it,” the Democrat said during a press conference mid-November.
“That doesn’t mean that we don’t have to make adjustments to make sure that we can get beyond fighting House Republicans with a national wave on top of us to withdraw,” he said, doubting the GOP mandate from the American people.
“But the question about this notion of some mandate to make massive far-right extreme policy changes — it doesn’t exist,” he claimed, remaining in denial. “It doesn’t exist.”
WATCH — Sure, Bud! Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries Says MAGA Mandate “Doesn’t Exist”
Trump fulfilled several promises on day one, rescinding 78 executive orders by former President Joe Biden and signing dozens of executive actions, tackling the weaponization of the justice system, illegal immigration, gender insanity and more.
See the full list of day one actions here.