Jeffries not yet ready to endorse Zohran Mamdani
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, said Sunday he is not ready to endorse Zohran Mamdani, who won the New York Democratic mayoral primary last week.
'We don't really know each other well,' said Jeffries on ABC's 'This Week.' 'Our districts don't overlap. I have never had a substantive conversation with him. And so, that's the next step in terms of this process, to be able to sit down, which we agreed to do, in central Brooklyn, discuss his vision for moving the city forward and addressing the issues that are important to the communities that I represent.'
At least some Democrats nationally responded with alarm to Mamdani's victory in the primary over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and others. Mamdani identifies as a democratic socialist, and he's drawn criticism from what has been described as anti-capitalist rhetoric as well as brushes with antisemitism. Jeffries addressed the latter concern.
'With respect to the Jewish communities that I represent,' Jeffries said, 'I think our nominee is going to have to convince folks that he is prepared to aggressively address the rise in antisemitism in the city of New York, which has been an unacceptable development.'
Jeffries also referenced the central issue of Mamdani's campaign, affordability, and used it to criticize President Donald Trump.
'Imagine a country,' Jeffries told host Jonathan Karl, 'where every single, hard-working American taxpayer can afford to live the good life, work hard, play by the rules, have a good paying job, good health care, be able to afford a home, educate your children, go on vacation every now and then, and one day retire with grace and dignity. The good life. The American dream. That is not accessible to everyone. And so I think it will continue to be important for all of us on the Democratic side to address relentlessly the issue of the lack of affordability in this country.'
He added: 'Donald Trump promised to lower costs on day one. Costs haven't gone down.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Canada and US Trade Talks Resume After Digital Tax Reversal
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Canada and the United States have resumed trade negotiations after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed to rescind the country's digital services tax on U.S. technology companies. The development follows President Donald Trump's announcement on Friday that he was suspending all trade talks with Canada "effective immediately" over the tax policy. Why It Matters Trump's Friday announcement followed Canada's confirmation that it would proceed with its digital services tax on technology giants, most of which are U.S.-based, despite a previous G7 agreement where the Trump administration had agreed to drop a retaliatory tax proposal from congressional consideration. Canada's quick reversal signals the high stakes involved in maintaining trade relationships with the United States, particularly given the countries' deeply integrated economies. What To Know Carney's office confirmed on Sunday that both leaders have agreed to restart negotiations after Canada committed to abandoning the 3 percent levy targeting major U.S. tech giants including Amazon, Google, Meta, Uber, and Airbnb. The tax was scheduled to take effect Monday and would have applied retroactively, creating an estimated $2 billion bill for American companies. The conflict escalated rapidly after Canada's Finance Department confirmed Friday that companies would still be required to make their first digital tax payments Monday, despite ongoing negotiations. The tax targeted revenue generated from Canadian users rather than corporate profits, making it particularly burdensome for technology companies operating internationally. Trump's response was immediate and severe. He announced the suspension of all trade discussions "effective immediately" and threatened to impose new tariffs on Canadian goods within seven days. The president criticized Canada as "a very difficult Country to TRADE with" and described the digital tax as "a direct and blatant attack on our Country." The dispute has unfolded against already strained U.S.-Canada relations. Since taking office in January, Trump has repeatedly criticized Canada and suggested it should become the 51st U.S. state. These tensions contributed to the political environment that led to Justin Trudeau's resignation and Mark Carney's subsequent election on an anti-Trump platform. Canada's decision to rescind the tax came "in anticipation" of reaching a broader trade agreement, according to government officials. What People Are Saying Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday: Canada will "continue to conduct these complex negotiations in the best interests of Canadians. It's a negotiation." President Donald Trump previously said in the Oval Office that he expected Canada to lift the digital services tax: "Economically we have such power over Canada. We'd rather not use it. It's not going to work out well for Canada. They were foolish to do it." Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney (R) greets U.S. President Donald Trump at the official welcome ceremony during the G7 Leaders' Summit on June 16, 2025 in Kananaskis, Alberta. Canada is hosting this year's meeting... Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney (R) greets U.S. President Donald Trump at the official welcome ceremony during the G7 Leaders' Summit on June 16, 2025 in Kananaskis, Alberta. Canada is hosting this year's meeting of the world's seven largest economies. MoreWhat Happens Next With negotiations resuming, both countries will likely focus on addressing broader trade issues beyond the digital services tax. The Trump administration has indicated expectations for additional Canadian concessions, particularly regarding agricultural tariffs that have been a longstanding source of friction. Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Debate is underway in the Senate on Trump's big bill, but overnight voting is delayed
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up But other Senate Republicans, along with conservatives in the House, are pushing for steeper cuts, particularly to health care, drawing their own unexpected warning from Trump. Advertisement 'Don't go too crazy!' the president posted on social media. 'REMEMBER, you still have to get reelected.' All told, the Senate bill includes some $4 trillion in tax cuts, making permanent Trump's 2017 rates, which would expire at the end of the year if Congress fails to act, while adding the new ones he campaigned on, including no taxes on tips. Advertisement The Senate package would roll back billions in green energy tax credits that Democrats warn will wipe out wind and solar investments nationwide, and impose $1.2 trillion in cuts, largely to Medicaid and food stamps, by imposing work requirements and making sign-up eligibility more stringent. Additionally, the bill would provide a $350 billion infusion for border and national security, including for deportations, some of it paid for with new fees charged to immigrants. If the Senate can pass the bill, it would need to return to the House. Speaker Mike Johnson has told lawmakers to be on call for a return to Washington this week. Democrats ready to fight all night Unable to stop the march toward passage of the 940-page bill, the Democrats as the minority party in Congress is using the tools at its disposal to delay and drag out the process. Democrats forced a full reading of the text, which took some 16 hours. Then senators took over the debate, filling the chamber with speeches, while Republicans largely stood aside. 'Reckless and irresponsible,' said Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan. 'A gift to the billionaire class,' said Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Sen. Patty Murray, the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, raised particular concern about the accounting method being used by the Republicans, which says the tax breaks from Trump's first term are now 'current policy' and the cost of extending them should not be counted toward deficits. 'In my 33 years here in the United States Senate, things have never — never — worked this way,' said Murray, the longest-serving Democrat on the Budget Committee. Advertisement She said that kind of 'magic math' won't fly with Americans trying to balance their own household books. 'Go back home and try that game with your constituents,' she said. 'We still need to kick people off their health care — that's too expensive. We still need to close those hospitals — we have to cut costs. And we still have to kick people off SNAP — because the debt is out of control.' Sanders said Tillis' decision not to seek reelection shows the hold that Trump's cult of personality has over the GOP. 'We are literally taking food out of the mouths of hungry kids,' Sanders said, while giving tax breaks to Jeff Bezos and other wealthy billionaires. GOP leaders unfazed Republicans are using their majorities to push aside Democratic opposition, and appeared undeterred, even as they have run into a series of political and policy setbacks. 'We're going to pass the 'Big, beautiful bill,' said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the Budget Committee chairman. The holdout Republicans remain reluctant to give their votes, and their leaders have almost no room to spare, given their narrow majorities. Essentially, they can afford three dissenters in the Senate, with its 53-47 GOP edge, and about as many in the House, if all members are present and voting. Trump, who has at times allowed wiggle room on his deadline, kept the pressure on lawmakers to finish. He threatened to campaign aginst Tillis, who was worried that Medicaid cuts would leave many without health care in his state. Trump badgered Tillis again on Sunday morning, saying the senator 'has hurt the great people of North Carolina.' Advertisement Later Sunday, Tillis issued a lengthy statement announcing he would not seek reelection in 2026. In an impassioned evening speech, Tillis shared his views arguing the Senate approach is a betrayal of Trump's promise not to kick people off health care. 'We could take the time to get this right,' he thundered. But until then, he said he would remain opposed. Democrats can't filibuster, but can stall Using a congressional process called budget reconciliation, the Republicans can rely on a simple majority vote in the Senate, rather than the typical 60-vote threshold needed to overcome objections. Without the filibuster, Democrats have latched on to other tools to mount their objections. One is the full reading of the bill text, which has been done in past situations. Democrats also intend to use their full 10 hours of available debate time, now underway. And then Democrats are prepared to propose dozens of amendments to the package, a process called vote-a-rama. But Republicans late Sunday postponed that expected overnight session to early Monday. GOP senators to watch As Saturday's vote tally teetered, attention turned to Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who was surrounded by GOP leaders in intense conversation. She voted 'yes.' Several provisions in the package are designed for her state in Alaska, but some were out of compliance of the strict rules by the Senate parliamentarian. A short time later, Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., drew holdouts Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming to his office. Vance joined in. Later, Scott said, 'We all want to get to yes.' Associated Press writers Ali Swenson, Fatima Hussein and Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Tillis: Senate bill breaks Trump's promise on Medicaid
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said Sunday that the Senate version of President Trump's massive spending bill 'will betray the very promise' the president made when he pledged not to interfere with people's Medicaid benefits. Tillis — who voted against the bill in a key procedural vote Saturday night and announced Sunday he would not run for reelection — delivered a scathing rebuke of the president's agenda-setting bill in a Senate floor speech, explaining his position and pledging to withhold his vote unless his concerns about drastic cuts to Medicaid are addressed. 'What do I tell 663,000 people in two years or three years, when President Trump breaks his promise by pushing them off of Medicaid because the funding's not there anymore, guys? I think the people in the White House… advising the president are not telling him that the effect of this bill is to break a promise,' Tillis said in his floor speech. Tillis said he gathered various estimates about the effect of the provider-tax provision and presented them to White House experts, who 'admitted that we were right' but said North Carolina is just 'going to have to make it work.' Tillis appealed to the president directly, telling him that his advisers are not informing him of the actual consequences for Medicaid coverage that will inevitably transpire if the bill passes in its current form. 'Now Republicans are about to make a mistake on health care and betraying a promise,' Tillis said. 'It is inescapable that this bill in its current form will betray the very promise that Donald J. Trump made in the Oval Office or in the cabinet room, when I was there with finance, where he said, we can go after waste, fraud, and abuse on any programs.' 'Now, those amateurs that are advising him — not Dr. Oz, I'm talking about White House health care experts — refuse to tell him that those instructions, that were to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse, all of a sudden eliminates a government program that's called the provider tax,' he continued. Tillis criticized the Senate GOP for rushing to meet Trump's July 4 deadline, rather than taking the time to consider the impact on their states. He also said he would be inclined to support the House version of the Medicaid proposal and lamented his party's resistance to considering changes. 'I am telling the president that you have been misinformed,' Tillis said. 'You supporting the Senate mark will hurt people who are eligible and qualified for Medicaid.' 'I love the work requirement. I love the other reforms in this bill. They are necessary, and I appreciate the leadership of the House for putting it in there,' he continued. 'In fact, I like the work of the House so much that I wouldn't be having to do this speech if we simply started with the House mark. I've talked with my colleagues in North Carolina. I know that we can do that. And I believe that we can make sure that we do not break the promise of Donald J. Trump, that he's made to the people who are on Medicaid today.' He closed out his speech pledging doubling down on his position against the bill. 'We owe it to the American people, and I owe it to the people of North Carolina, to withhold my affirmative vote until it's demonstrated to me that we've done our homework, we're going to make sure that we fulfill the promise. And then I can feel good about a bill that I'm willing to vote for,' he said. 'But until that time, I will be withholding my vote.' Trump had attacked Tillis for his opposition to the bill and, this weekend, floated the prospect of backing a primary challenge to the senator.
