Hakeem Jeffries Reacts to Reported Primary Threat From Mamdani Allies
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries brushed off a recent CNN report that said people in New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's camp are looking to primary Jeffries and other House Democrats in the city.
The Context
Mamdani, a 33-year-old New York state assemblyman and democratic socialist, is the Democratic nominee in the New York City mayor's race. His triumph in the primary emboldened the progressive wing of the party and ignited fierce intra-party debate about Democratic priorities and whether they're doing enough to push back on President Donald Trump's agenda.
Those tensions were laid bare on Wednesday on CNN, which said some of Mamdani's progressive allies want to unseat Jeffries and other high-profile Democratic lawmakers, including Representatives Jerry Nadler, Dan Goldman, Yvette Clark and Ritchie Torres.
Jeffries, as the House Democratic leader, faces the dual challenge of maintaining party unity and fending off primary challenges from the left while preparing for the general election fight against Republicans in next year's midterms.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the Democratic Caucus assemble on the steps of the Capitol to condemn President Donald Trump's signature bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, in Washington on July 2, 2025.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the Democratic Caucus assemble on the steps of the Capitol to condemn President Donald Trump's signature bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, in Washington on July 2, 2025.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
What To Know
The minority leader addressed CNN's reporting during an interview with Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday, saying: "I have no idea what these people are talking about. We are going to continue to focus our efforts as we did on the House floor in connection with Donald Trump's one big, ugly bill on pushing back against the extremism that has been unleashed on the American people."
The New York Democrat went on to emphasize party unity, saying that "it's clear to us, as House Democrats, it's clear to us as members of the New York City delegation, that the problem is Donald Trump and House Republicans who have launched this unprecedented assault on the American way of life and assault on health care."
Jeffries was referring to the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which delivers on Trump's biggest priorities—including immigration enforcement and tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthy—by slashing funding for critical safety net programs like Medicaid and food assistance.
The bill passed the Republican-controlled Senate and House and was signed into law by Trump on July 4.
"They're ripping food out of the mouths of children, veterans and seniors," Jeffries said of the bill. "They're exploding the national debt. They're unleashing masked agents on law-abiding immigrant communities. It shouldn't be too difficult for some people to figure out who the problem is in the United States of America."
André Richardson, a senior adviser to Jeffries, struck a more combative tone, telling CNN that "Leader Hakeem Jeffries is focused on taking back the House from the MAGA extremists who just ripped health care away from millions of Americans.
"However, if Team Gentrification wants a primary fight, our response will be forceful and unrelenting. We will teach them and all of their incumbents a painful lesson on June 23, 2026."
By calling Mamdani's allies "Team Gentrification," Richardson was likely referencing the fact that the New York state assemblyman won the support of younger progressives who are whiter and wealthier than most of the residents in districts where incumbent Democrats are being targeted.
Newsweek reached out to Mamdani's campaign for comment via email on Wednesday.
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
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