U.S. House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has spoken privately with Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and top outside adviser, suggesting the White House is exploring ways to work with Democrats if they wrest majority control from Republicans in the midterm elections.
Little is known about the details of the discussion, which was first reported by The New York Times on Sunday. The newspaper described the meeting as a high-profile meeting that was expected to generate bipartisan “common understanding.”
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The meeting reportedly touched on a wide range of issues, from housing and immigration to the cost of living crisis. Americans are suffering under inflationary prices, and Democrats are accusing Republicans and President Trump of failing to contain them.
In a statement published Sunday, Jeffries did not refer to private conversations, but said the Republican administration should move away from the party’s “road-or-highway” approach that has “failed the American people.”
“In order to stop the madness, we have made it clear repeatedly that extremist approaches are ineffective and will be met with strong opposition,” the New York congressman said. “The question is whether the Republicans will join us.”
Mr. Kushner also suggested that Mr. Jeffries meet with the president’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, as a follow-up.
The reported talks come in the final stages of the controversial November midterm elections, which could give Democrats a chance to regain the House majority, a highly anticipated development that could elevate Mr. Jeffries to the powerful position of Speaker of the House. If Democrats regain the seat, they are expected to use their oversight powers to aggressively investigate the Trump administration, including allegations of self-interest by the president and his family.
Jeffries’ office did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.
Congressional Republicans are not happy about this. On Sunday, current House Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed the talks and criticized Kushner’s importance, telling Fox News, “I don’t know what it is. I know Jared is interested in a lot of things that are going on.”
Johnson added that Kushner is “hedging his bets” and is “not really directly involved in the administration, at least in the day-to-day life of the White House.”
“What I’m saying is, don’t bet on House Republicans,” the Louisiana congressman added, noting that even if the war with Iran wasn’t over by November, Republicans would still win.
The meeting also raised eyebrows among those who feared Mr. Jeffries was being coddled by one of Mr. Trump’s most corrupt cronies.
“Jared Kushner has no real government job, he just uses family connections to raise money from Gulf dictators and fund corrupt deals. The only way[Jeffries]should work with him is to request documents and subpoenas,” said Tommy Vieter, a former close aide to former President Barack Obama and current co-host of the left-leaning podcast Pod Save America.
Zeteo CEO Mehdi Hasan echoed Vietr’s sentiments, writing on social media: “The only meeting Hakeem Jeffries should have with Jared Kushner is to tell him on the first day Democrats take control of the House that he will be subpoenaed by the House for a corruption investigation.” He added: “This is pathetic content from the House Democratic leadership.”
William Kristol, a former neocon turned leader of the No Trump movement, posted: “Really? Or as the kids say, AYFKM?” (This acronym stands for “Are you kidding me?”)
Throughout his time in Congress, Jeffries has been a fierce critic of President Trump’s aggressive foreign policy, repeatedly criticizing the administration’s “reckless war of choice” against Iran and what he called its “failure to adequately prepare for the consequences of starting a war against Iran.”
The meeting shows the depth of Republicans’ fears about losing their majority in Congress, particularly the House, and the need to make inroads with opposition parties as the White House seeks to stem potential political influence on the president.
“The American people want bold change, and House Democrats will deliver it,” Jeffries said in a statement Sunday.
The White House did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.
Jared Kushner is a familiar messenger between Donald Trump and Democratic politicians
Mr. Jeffries and Mr. Kushner are no strangers.
Two New Yorkers came together during the first Trump administration on a landmark bill that would allow sentencing flexibility for certain drug offenses as a way to reduce long sentences in federal prisons.
Although not necessarily close, the two have maintained a professional working relationship, despite Trump’s repeated punches at comments made by Jeffries and other Democratic leaders. During President Trump’s second term, Kushner wielded disproportionate influence within the administration despite not holding an official White House title. He serves as a top outside adviser and special peace envoy as the US war with Iran approaches its sixth month, and is a frequent visitor to foreign diplomatic missions.
Just last week, Mr. Kushner traveled to the Middle East, meeting with mediators from Qatar, Turkey and Egypt, before heading to Tel Aviv to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the fate of the 15-point Gaza peace plan that Israel rejected. The trip came after officials from President Trump’s newly created peace commission confirmed that Kushner would lead a delegation through Egypt and Israel to break the diplomatic impasse.
Trump has only met with Jeffries once since returning to the Oval Office. After the meeting, the president posted AI-generated deepfake content of Jeffries and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer wearing a sombrero with a handlebar mustache. The image was widely seen as a racist metaphor and a parody of Democratic administrations in the run-up to what would become the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history.
Mr. Trump has thus far been able to disregard the opinions of Congress, relying on unchecked executive power to carry out his priorities or, when necessary, relying on Republican lobbying in the House and Senate to go along with unilateral decisions.
That could change quickly if Democrats control the House, the Senate, or both, with lawmakers increasingly eager to exercise their power in Congress as a co-equal branch of government and rein in the White House.
