Video from a statement by Hakeem Jeffries
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries answers a reporter's question at a Democratic leadership news conference, Sept. 17, 2026.
Excerpt from 25:30 to 27:01 of the office's livestream. DI added its logo in the corner.
Video: Office of House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Public domain (U.S. government work) (opens in a new tab)
Watch the full original video (opens in a new tab) (relevant passage: 26:43-26:59 of the 29:10 livestream (the reporter's question runs about 25:32-26:04; Jeffries's answer runs 26:05-26:59))
At a House Democratic leadership press conference in Washington on September 17, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries was asked about a photograph of President Trump that the reporter said suggested the Kennedy Center could be demolished, and about what Congress could do if the administration moved forward. He said legislative action was needed through the appropriations process for action not authorized by Congress, and that he was confident that 'one way or the other' Democrats would 'stop the president from another vanity project and waste of taxpayer resources in the context of the Kennedy Center.'
“I'm confident that one way or the other, whether it's legislatively or whether it's legally in the courts, we're going to stop the president from another vanity project and waste of taxpayer resources in the context of the Kennedy Center.”