Hakeem Jeffries, No Good for the Nation

Hakeem Jeffries is the current Minority Leader. With the blue wave sweeping the nation, he is poised to ascend to Speaker of the House, but he is ill equipped to rise to the challenge at hand and cannot meet the mandate that the electorate has provided. His fealty to Israel, softness on Trump, and lack of leadership skills make him an easy "NO" for the speaker position. We just have to let our congresspeople know in big enough numbers that we will support and back them if they choose to oppose Jeffries for continuing leadership.

Doesn't care about accountability for Trump

When Trump said "I think he's a nice guy. I'd probably get along with him very well," who was he talking about? Hakeem Jeffries, and now Jeffries wants to lead the Democratic Party. He even met with Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to discuss working together across the aisle. With their government trifecta, Republicans have strong-armed all resistance and eschewed the rule of law. They have exhibited no restraint when it comes to getting their agenda through—a fact Jeffries himself recognizes: "Throughout this Congress, Republicans have adopted a my-way-or-the-highway approach to governing that has failed the American people," but now he's ready to forgive them and move on. Rather than stepping up to bypass Republican resistance and push through an agenda that is actually beneficial for the American working class, he's ready to have conversations with Republicans. "In every conversation that we have with the Trump administration, we will continue to make it explicitly clear that the affordability crisis is not a hoax, and nothing short of transformational policy change is acceptable. We are fighting for an affordable America. The question is whether Republicans will join us."

America doesn't need a moderate who's looking to compromise. In the aftermath of the phenomenal rebuke of the current ruling class, the workers need someone to break the ratchet, not just pause for the next iteration of fascism.

He's weak on accountability too. The day after the election he dismissed talk of impeachment and holding Trump to account, saying "The American people don't want us to get even. They want us to get things done on their behalf because life is way too expensive." Affordability is only one issue facing American workers today, and it's made all the worse by the corruption and abuse at the top. Accountability is the easiest and most direct way to address the affordability crisis. Hakeem Jeffries has at least been consistent when it comes to being weak on accountability, however. "We've not ruled anything in and not ruled anything out in terms of accountability. ... We've got to make sure we continue to get rid of toxic Trump cabinet secretaries. … Pete Hegseth, in my view, should be next on the list."

Ill-Equipped to Lead

"Pete Hegseth ... should be next on the list." Rep. Thomas Massie (R, WV) introduced eight articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth, and the House voted Tuesday to send them to committee, an effort that would kill the impeachment proceedings if it succeeded. The measure to send to committee passed 211-204, a seven-vote margin. Eleven Democrats did not vote. Hakeem Jeffries is the current Minority Leader. He couldn't whip the votes to oust a violent, blood-lusting war criminal who has killed countless innocent souls and terrorized countless more. Whipping votes is his literal job. That's the job he is asking to maintain, and that's the job he has demonstrably failed at. Hakeem Jeffries failed at his first chance to govern. We knew the vote was coming, and he failed to act. That may not have been an accident, however, since Jeffries loves Israel and loves the work Hegseth is doing to terrorize the region in Israel's name.

Israel First

"Israel today, Israel tomorrow, Israel forever!"

Hakeem Jeffries at a rally during the 2014 Gaza War · July 2014

"Congress will continue to support ... the state of Israel and Israel's unequivocal right to exist ... always and forever, always and forever, always and forever!" Hakeem Jeffries cried on a stage next to Mike Johnson (R, LA) on November 14, 2023 during the ongoing Israeli-led genocide of the Palestinian people. He continued in his speech to erroneously conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism. This refrain should come as no surprise to those who've been following along with Jeffries' allegiances. In a July 2014 address during the '14 Gaza War he also stood in front of a crowd and, borrowing from the racist segregationist George Wallace's speech, proclaimed "Israel today, Israel tomorrow, Israel forever!" Jeffries has raised over $1.7 million from pro-Israel donors, and has visited Israel multiple times. It is clear where his loyalties lie.

Say "no" to Hakeem Jeffries

America needs a long list of improvements, from healthcare, infrastructure, housing, food access, education, environmental protections, voting reforms, abolition of ICE, government accountability, and so, so much more.

Jeffries' proven track record of backing a genocidal state while it conducts an ongoing genocide, his milquetoast response to the atrocities of the Trump administration, and his abject failure as a leader clearly demonstrate his shortcomings for this position. At a time when America needs its best to step up and guide us toward a better future, Hakeem Jeffries has shown his allegiance to those in power and his position in the old guard. Resistant to change, he is a roadblock that must be cast aside. That is why Voters For Progress is running the "Demand Better Leadership" campaign to encourage elected officials to choose someone who is willing to fight for the working class.