Hakeem Jeffries criticized for secret meeting with Jared Kushner
newsNov 5, 202627186
House Democratic minority leader Hakeem Jeffries met privately with Jared Kushner in New York and defended the meeting as arranged at Kushner’s request to discuss the “affordability crisis.” The New York Times reported the meeting, and Jeffries posted on X that “No one from the Trump cartel is getting a pass,” adding Democrats will “follow the facts, apply the law and be guided by the constitution.” The meeting drew criticism across the left, with Pod Save America co-host Tommy Vietor saying Kushner has “no actual government job” and accusing him of using family connections for profit, and former Clinton strategist James Carville urging congressional scrutiny and saying Kushner should be grilled about “backdoor-dealing.” Jeffries framed the talks as an attempt “to stop the madness” and signaled they related to policy areas Democrats care about, like housing and immigration. New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani said he still supports Jeffries’ bid for House leadership, while House speaker Mike Johnson said he did not know the purpose of the meeting and called Kushner not directly involved in day-to-day White House affairs. The episode has put Jeffries under pressure from some Democrats concerned about private contacts with a Trump adviser and intensified questions about his standing ahead of the November midterms.
