Latest news with #Jeffries
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Where top Democrats stand on meeting Mamdani — or endorsing him
New York's top Democrats are moving cautiously when it comes to newly-minted mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, slow-walking their interactions with the youthful progressive candidate and so far holding off on endorsing him. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Gov. Hochul, the party's three most powerful leaders in the state, appear to be following a shared playbook regarding Mamdani in the month since he trounced ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary to become the party's standard bearer in the November general election. At a time in the campaign cycle when normally they would have already endorsed the winner of the Democratic primary, the trio are instead focusing on building their relationships with Mamdani and laying the foundation to potentially back him at some point in the future. None of the power threesome has said if or when they may formally declare their backing for the charismatic Queens assemblyman, who this week is on a family trip to Uganda, the country of his birth. Mamdani is the favorite in the November election, in which he will run on the Democratic and Working Families party lines. He'll face Republican Curtis Sliwa along with incumbent Eric Adams and Cuomo, both of whom are running as independents. Jeffries, the House minority leader, met with Mamdani last Friday at an office space in East New York. He said the meeting went well but dodged questions about a possible endorsement at a press conference Tuesday. 'At the meeting on Friday, we agreed to reconvene with other members of the delegation and high-level members of the community upon (Mamdani's) return to the country,' Jeffries told reporters. Schumer praised Mamdani in a post on X after his primary victory, calling his campaign a healthy jolt of energy to Democrats with its laser focus on affordability. He has spoken to Mamdani briefly by phone in what aides called an effort to lay the groundwork for a future face-to-face meeting in the city. A spokesman for Schumer said both leaders were targeting August for a meeting when the Senate is in recess and Mamdani will be back from Africa, and before Labor Day, which marks the start of the campaign's home stretch. The senior Democrat hasn't given any indication when he might make an endorsement decision. Both Schumer and Jeffries are strong supporters of Israel and have in the past denounced progressive critics of the Jewish state like Mamdani. They have both objected to the controversial phrase 'globalize the intifada,' which Mamdani has refused to denounce but has said he would encourage supporters to avoid. It's unclear how much Israel-Palestine politics may influence the heavyweights' endorsement calculus, if at all. As for Hochul, the pair have more of a history because Mamdani has often criticized the moderate governor during his three terms in Albany. But both camps have discussed burying the hatchet since the primary and stressed their shared commitment to lowering costs for everyday New Yorkers. Hochul and Mamdani have spoken several times since the primary and met once on the sidelines of the city's Pride march on June 29. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand was forced to apologize to Mamdani after she seemed to agree with a caller on a radio show who accused him of being antisemitic. Gillibrand told Mamdani she was sorry for mischaracterizing his record and her 'tone.' Like Schumer, she also fired back at congressional Republicans who vilified him as a terrorist or supporter of Hamas. Like other leaders, she said they plan to meet in New York soon, but gave no details on an endorsement decision.
New York Post
9 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Top NY Dems ‘freaking out' over ‘absolute insanity' of Mamdani taking over NYC, Mike Lawler says
Hudson Valley Rep. Mike Lawler believes that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other top New York Democrats are 'freaking out' over socialist Zohran Mamdani's victory in the mayoral primary. Lawler (R-NY) said he believes reporting from journalist Mark Halperin that Jeffries (D-NY) quietly feels that if Mamdani becomes mayor, Democrats won't be able to take back control of the House. 'I think that's right,' Lawler told 'Fox & Friends' Wednesday when asked about Halperin's report. 'I think they are betwixt and between. You see Kathy Hochul, Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries freaking out about the prospects of having a Marxist lead the financial capital of the world.' 'They understand this is a disaster, not only for Democrats, but for the country.' Halperin had claimed this week that 'Hakeem Jeffries strongly believes that if Mamdani wins, he [Jeffries] can't win the majority' and cited 'people who've spoken directly with the leader.' 3 House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has refrained from endorsing Zohran Mamdani. AP 3 Rep. Mike Lawler announced Wednesday that he won't run for governor. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Spokespeople for Jeffries have called that report 'patently false.' So far, Jeffries has declined to endorse Mamdani, who once compared the minority leader to notorious segregationist George Wallace and questioned his progressive bona fides. The two Democrats met in person last week and Jeffries plans to have another confab with Mamdani after he returns from his marriage celebration in Uganda. Lawler, who announced Wednesday that he will vie for his swing seat again in 2026 rather than challenge Gov. Kathy Hochul, gloated over the predicament mainstream Democrats face. 'This is absolute insanity to have somebody who says that he wants to seize the means of production, that he wants to ban private property ownership, that he wants to freeze the rent, that he wants free bussing and mass transit, and he wants government-run grocery stores,' he said of Mamdani. 'They understand this is a disaster in the suburban districts like mine that determine the outcome of control of Congress, and that's why they haven't yet endorsed him. But at the same token, they can't run too far away from him.' 3 Zohran Mamdani's shock victory has rocked the Democratic Party in New York. Getty Images Jeffries has been crusading to flip control of the House, where Republicans have a threadbare 219 to 212-seat majority. Historically, the party in control of the White House loses a chunk of House seats during the midterms. This has been the trend in every midterm election since 1938, with two main exceptions: 1998 and 2002. Republicans are hoping that other factors, such as Mamdani, could change that dynamic. Mamdani is the clear favorite to become mayor of the Big Apple, but he still must win a general election, though some polls show a tightening race.
New York Post
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Zohran Mamdani's digs at Hakeem Jeffries resurface as House Dem leader weighs backing socialist NYC mayoral candidate
Socialist New York City mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani once implied House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was an Islamophobe and likened the highest-ranking black House lawmaker in US history to notorious segregationist George Wallace. The past digs resurfaced as Jeffries continues to drag his feet on an endorsement after meeting with Mamdani last week for the first time since the Queens state lawmaker locked down the Democratic mayoral nod. The two are expected to have another confab when Mamdani returns from his Uganda vacation at the end of the month. The pro-Palestinian pol has been part of a cadre of lefty firebrands that has long bashed Jeffries over his remarks in steadfast support of Israel from a 2014 rally, comparing it to Wallace's infamous 1963 call for 'segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever.' 'After at least 2,251 Palestinians were killed over the course of July 2014, Hakeem Jeffries got on stage at a rally in NYC and paraphrased George Wallace. 'Israel today, Israel tomorrow, Israel forever,'' Mamdani fumed in a November 2022 X post. 5 Zohran Mamdani has been working to court top Democratic leaders who have been skittish about throwing their weight behind him. X/zohrankmamdani Jeffries, a Brooklyn-based Democrat, has been a staunch backer of Israel, though since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, he has tried to highlight concerns about the treatment of the Palestinians as well. 5 Hakeem Jeffries has long been a public supporter of Israel, something that has peeved his left flank. Getty Images Mamdani, meanwhile, has been a ferocious critic of the Jewish state — a term he rejects. Several months after comparing Jeffries to Wallace, Mamdani appeared to accuse the party boss of Islamophobia, while opining on a 2000 debate in which the Brooklyn Dem noted the religious differences he had with his rival for a seat in the New York State Assembly. 'Yes, my opponent is older; I'm younger. It's not religion. Yes, the assemblyman is a practicing Muslim, and I grew up in the Cornerstone Baptist Church,' Jeffries said in the 2000 debate before his then-foe Roger Green stormed off. Mamdani, a practicing Muslim and assembly member from Queens, strongly insinuated Jeffries had been Islamophobic with those remarks. '[Islamophobia] has become less explicit. … You might not hear the word 'Muslim.' You might not hear the word Islam. But you will hear about extremism or ties to specific groups or attempts at making associations that will block any consideration of a candidacy in a voter's mind,' Mamdani reflected to Politico in 2023. Later that same year — just over two months after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel — Mamdani publicly roasted Jeffries for not backing a ceasefire, in a clip he proudly shared on social media. 'Congressman Jeffries has yet to call for a ceasefire. Congressman Jeffries has said that he seriously supports President Biden's request for an additional $14 billion in military funding for Israel,' Mamdani chided. 'And I must ask Congressman Jeffries how many more Palestinians must be killed before you call for a ceasefire? How many more?' he added to cheers. 5 Hakeem Jeffries has made clear he'd rather focus on attacking President Trump than intraparty battles. Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock Mamdani has long fixated on the Israel-Hamas war. In October 2023, just about a week after Hamas' surprise attack sparked the conflict, Mamdani was arrested during a protest near then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's Park Slope home. Like Jeffries, Schumer has so far refrained from endorsing Mamdani in the mayoral race. 5 Some Democrats quietly feared that Zohran Mamdani could give Republicans ammunition in the 2026 midterms. Derek French/SOPA Images/Shutterstock Since Mamdani's shock primary win in June, Jeffries has engaged in a delicate dance of not backing the young socialist, but refraining from criticizing him publicly as well. Last month, Jeffries gently called on Mamdani to clarify his defense of the phrase 'globalize the intifada' — widely seen as a call for violent uprisings against Israel — which the socialist chalked it up to a 'desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.' But as he campaigns for the November general election, Mamdani has since said he would 'discourage' the use of the phrase, and stressed that he hadn't been using it. Some progressive hardliners, emboldened by Mamdani's primary victory over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, have mused about targeting other so-called 'establishment' Democrats like Jeffries. Jeffries' allies, though, have warned Democratic socialists in New York City against messing with him. 'Leader Hakeem Jeffries is focused on taking back the House from the MAGA extremists who just ripped health care away from millions of Americans,' his senior adviser André Richardson told CNN earlier this month. '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.' National Republican Congressional Committee Spokesman Mike Marinella said Jeffries' prospects at re-election didn't look good in light of Mamdani's past critiques of the top House Dem. 'Hakeem is too weird and too weak to even win over the Democrat nominee for his own city. How would anyone expect him to win back the House?' Marinella told The Post. 5 Hakeem Jeffries met with Zohran Mamdani last week and has plans to meet him again after the latter's return from Uganda. Getty Images 'The socialism wing has taken over the Democrat Party because this is their radical platform.' Mamdani announced on Sunday that he will be taking a break from the campaign so that he and his wife can go to Uganda, where he immigrated from when he was a child. Jeffries told reporters Monday that he'll meet with Mamdani when the candidate returns. 'We agreed to reconvene with other members of the [New York] delegation and high-level community leaders in Brooklyn upon his return to the country,' he said. The Post reached out to reps for Mamdani and Jeffries for comment.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
'They want to shutdown the govt...': House minority leader Jeffries tears into GOP's fiscal blueprint
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is sending a warning to Republicans that next year's spending bills must have Democratic buy-in, or the government will likely shut down. 'It's my expectation that if Republicans try to jam a highly partisan spending bill down the throats of the American people here in the House we'll reject it,' Jeffries said Monday during a press briefing in the Capitol. With President Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill enacted, the Republican-led Appropriations committees in both chambers are charging ahead with a slate of spending bills for fiscal 2026. The deadline for passing those bills is Sept. 30. A failure to do so will lead to a government shutdown. Show more Show less
New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Dem leaders who won't speak out against Mamdani don't deserve to hold office
Democratic leaders who can't see what kind of threat Zohran Mamdani's candidacy is, not just to New York, but to their own party, don't deserve to be in office. That includes, most notably, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Mamdani is a rank antisemite. He's an open socialist, who opposes the very economic system that made New York great: capitalism. He's pro-criminal and anti-cop. And barely has any credentials to qualify for a job as important as mayor. How can these 'leaders' even consider endorsing him? They ought to be shouting from the rooftops that he's a dangerous choice — and not representative at all of the Democratic Party whatsoever. Instead, they're simply staying silent. What utter cowards. On Sunday, former Gov. George Pataki slammed the three Dems, accusing them of 'hiding in the weeds' by refusing to explicitly support or condemn the Democratic mayoral nominee. He's right. These politicians are trying to avoid ruffling feathers by refusing to voice any definitive opinions on Mamdani, even though he's within spitting distance of City Hall. Schumer and Jeffries both actually congratulated Mamdani after his win in June; Jeffries met with him last week and still refused to commit to a position, instead issuing corporate-HR-sounding pabulum that they discussed 'important issues.' Talk about feckless. Every morning, the NY POSTcast offers a deep dive into the headlines with the Post's signature mix of politics, business, pop culture, true crime and everything in between. Subscribe here! Hochul did vow to veto his disastrous tax hikes, but that's because she's running for reelection next year on 'affordability' and New York is already the highest-taxing state in America. But she's mum on the rest of Mamdani's catastrophically dumb agenda: like government-run groceries, free buses, a rent freeze . . . And it's not just Hochul, Jeffries and Schumer, either: Other New York heavyweights, like Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Dan Goldman, are staying quiet. They're plainly hoping to keep from angering the activist class — but they're risking alienating the sane moderates in their party: A recent I&I/TIPP poll showed that more than one-in-five Democrats believe their party has veered too far to the left. Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters It's not like these lawmakers need more time to assess before committing; Mamdani could not be more clear on what he stands for. So what's the hold up? David Paterson, who once effectively headed New York's Democratic Party when he was governor, had no qualms about urging voters to defeat the socialist. But then, he's already done with political office. Other Dems want to have their cake and eat it, too. But as the left likes to say, 'silence is complicity.' Make no mistake: If Mamdani wins, they'll be just as responsible as those who hopped right onto his bandwagon. It's time to pick a side, Dems; either join Mamdani's leftward lurch or call it out for what it is. The time for fence-riding is over.
