Scoop: The 2024 blame game finally comes for Hakeem Jeffries
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries at a press conference at the Capitol on Sept. 25. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is getting caught up in the ideological infighting plaguing his party, with some members of his left flank dialing up their scrutiny toward him.
Why it matters: Jeffries' loyalists have long touted his reputation as a unifier and coalition-builder, but some progressives are wondering aloud if he has the mettle to take on President-elect Trump.
- If Democrats had taken control of the House, Jeffries would have been seen as kind of "the one hero that's going to hold it down for all of us," said one House progressive, who, like others quoted in this story, was granted anonymity to speak candidly about their party's leader.
- But, the lawmaker predicted, with Democrats on track to lose the House, "he'll be put in the same blanket" as other Democratic Party leaders, "and probably worse."
State of play: While Republicans' expected narrow hold on the House is a disappointing result for House Democrats, it's significantly better than Vice President Harris' decisive loss to President-elect Trump.
- Even Senate Democrats — despite also outperforming Harris — lost four seats, making House Democrats the only ones on track to potentially make gains.
- That has led many House Democrats to conclude Jeffries is one of the few party leaders who will not face real blowback over the party's loss.
Yes, but: "I have a feeling people would say this would never have happened under" Pelosi, the House progressive who spoke on the condition of anonymity told Axios.
- Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is known as a ruthless political tactician and is seen as one of the architects of President Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race in July.
- The lawmaker said some of their colleagues blame Jeffries for not pushing Biden to drop out earlier and have lamented that "it's sad that Pelosi still has to do this work."
Zoom in: A leading House progressive dismissed the notion that House Democrats' electoral showing insulates Jeffries from criticism.
- "We picked up Biden seats ... so I don't think it's something for us to claim as some enormous win," the second lawmaker said.
- "Amongst people I'm trying to talk to, and my own thoughts are: Is our leadership capable and ready to learn from this moment and to change?"
- Said a third House progressive: "I just think what people want is a recognition that we lost."
The other side: Many of Jeffries' more moderate members have dismissed the notion that he is at all deserving of criticism, and some progressives have spoken publicly on his behalf.
- Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), a leading Progressive Caucus member, told Axios that Jeffries "has the complete respect and support of the caucus. There are no cracks here, and in fact most people think it was a heroic effort."
- House Rules Committee ranking member Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), another prominent progressive, said he thinks Jeffries has the full support of the caucus: "I think he's earned it, he deserves it."
Between the lines: Outgoing Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) on Monday appeared to question Democratic leadership's willingness to work with Republicans over the last two years.
- "We had this situation where we had Democrats in the minority in the House who felt incumbent upon us — we can debate whether or not that was the right thing or not — to fix Republicans' lack of being able to govern and instead of letting it show through," she said at a press conference.
- Jayapal told Axios that Jeffries is a "very powerful leader" but that "he's going to hear from a lot of us across the caucus that we have to be willing to take on" progressive policy fights.
- "The extent to which he engages with a real process with all wings of the party ... he's got to be open to that and willing to look at changing some of the longstanding practices that have led us to this place," she added.
The bottom line: None of this has translated to the kind of serious leadership challenges House Republican speakers have faced over the last two years.
- Jeffries is expected to be unopposed for reelection when House Democrats meet for their leadership elections on Nov. 19.
- Jayapal bristled at the notion she would withhold her support for Jeffries, saying "he is the leader of our party."
- Still, the senior House progressive who spoke on the condition of anonymity told Axios: "I don't think anybody ever should take or can take their leadership for granted."
