Jeffries reports no contact with Trump after the midterms
President Donald Trump said during a CBS “60 Minutes” interview that Democrats had already called him after the elections. On Nov. 9, during a visit to a Verizon cellphone shop downtown in Washington, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York set to be the next House speaker, said he still had not connected with Trump nearly a week after the midterms. In an impromptu interview after exiting the shop, Jeffries told The Wall Street Journal, “He has not called,” then added, “I have not called him.” Jeffries said he was unaware of any conversations between the president and Democrats in recent days.
“It’s just unclear who he is talking about,” Jeffries said. He said Trump “should name the names” and that he did not know of a single Democrat who had a conversation with Trump in the last couple of days.
Democrats will assume majorities in both the House and Senate next year, giving them greater leverage over legislation and oversight. Trump has already promised to use his veto power, while some Democrats see an opportunity for compromise.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin said on election night that “Donald Trump has seemed to be a dealmaker over his lifetime.” House Democrats have also promised an oversight agenda when they take power, and Jeffries endorsed an early preview of those efforts.
In the same CBS “60 Minutes” interview, Trump said he was open to a deal with Democrats on immigration and that his administration’s deportation policies might have been “too tough.” When asked about that idea, Jeffries said the House Democratic Caucus will discuss immigration this week. He described Trump’s new White House chief of staff Stephen Miller as a “disgrace” and has previously said he would not work with Miller. The Wall Street Journal reported that Miller is widely seen as a central figure in Trump’s immigration policies.
Jeffries argued that the immigration system required broad change. “We clearly need a dramatic change,” Jeffries said. “Immigration reform is necessary. Our system is broken. We want to pursue it in a comprehensive way.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump and the Senate came close to an immigration deal during his first term, but the talks fell apart amid opposition from Miller. The outlet also reported that Trump helped sink a bipartisan border deal during the Biden administration.
Jeffries said he supported a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, reiterating comments made over the weekend. “I am a hard yes on the Hegseth impeachment resolution,” he told The Wall Street Journal.
Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, who lost his seat to a Trump-backed challenger, is expected to force a vote this week. Jeffries said House Democrats would support the effort but that “it remains to be seen” how many Republicans might split with the White House and back impeachment.
Many Republicans have attributed the party’s midterm losses at least in part to the Iran war. Some White House aides have blamed Hegseth, who advocated for the war and assured Trump that it could be wrapped up quickly.
Trump has publicly defended Hegseth, telling reporters “he’s guilty of two things: basically winning two wars.” He was referring to the U.S. operation in Venezuela and the war in Iran.