DI has documented statements by Hakeem Jeffries on 2026 Midterm Elections, Antisemitism, and Artificial Intelligence, among other topics. Read the quotations, original sources and related cases below.
Role at the time: House Democratic Leader, in a joint statement with Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar
Condemned
Statement summary
House Democratic leaders call the search deeply disturbing and say it raises questions about the weaponization of the federal government against Trump's adversaries.
“The Trump administration’s raid on Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s home is deeply disturbing and raises serious questions about the continued corrupt weaponization of the federal government against Donald Trump’s adversaries.”
Role at the time: House Democratic Leader and U.S. Representative for New York's 8th congressional district, answering a reporter's question at a House Democratic leadership press conference in Washington
Condemned
Statement summary
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.”
Watch the original video (opens in a new tab)Democratic Leadership Calls Out Republican Inaction on Rising Costs · Hakeem Jeffries26:43-26:59 of the 29:10 livestream (the reporter's question runs about 25:32-26:04; Jeffries's answer runs 26:05-26:59)
Why we used this label
Asked on September 17 about a photograph suggesting the center could be demolished, Jeffries called the president's Kennedy Center effort 'another vanity project and waste of taxpayer resources' and said Democrats would stop it legislatively or in the courts, which criticizes and opposes the course the conduct under scrutiny describes. The closest competing label is “Mixed or conditional”, because he frames stopping the project as depending on a legislative or judicial route ('one way or the other'). That loses because the condition concerns the means, not whether the project is acceptable, and his evaluation of it is uniformly critical.
Role at the time: House Democratic Leader and U.S. Representative for New York's 8th congressional district, posting on his verified X account and speaking to reporters
Defended or excused
Statement summary
After the House left for recess a day early, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Republicans had cut and run on AI safety and accused them of not caring about protecting Americans. In an attached clip he said the AI safety issue is very real, described a Democratic plan anchored in urgent, decisive and responsible action, cited industry leaders themselves calling for AI development to slow, and called it irresponsible that Mike Johnson and House Republicans left town rather than working on the issue in a bipartisan and comprehensive way. His characterisation of Republicans as extremists is his own.
“House Republicans just cut and run on AI safety. These extremists don't give a damn about protecting the American people. … The AI safety issue is very real. The Democratic plan is one that will be anchored in urgent, decisive, and responsible action to protect the safety, the health, the well-being of the American people in the face of threats that industry leaders themselves are now saying requires development in AI to slow down. That's why it's so irresponsible that Mike Johnson and House Republicans have got out of town before Sunday, as opposed to working in the Congress in a bipartisan way, in a comprehensive way, to address the urgent issue of AI safety.”
Read the original post (opens in a new tab)Hakeem Jeffries: "House Republicans just cut and run on AI safety"Post text plus attached 0:58 video of Jeffries speaking to reporters.
Why we used this label
Jeffries supports it in its most immediate form, calling for urgent and comprehensive congressional action and attacking the decision to adjourn without it. That is consistent with his September 13 statement in this case (561), also classified “Defended or excused”, and places him with Sanders (562), Cantwell (728) and Ossoff (555). The closest competing label is condemns, given that most of the passage attacks Republicans rather than setting out a safeguard; it loses because his criticism is that they failed to act on safeguards he supports, which is an endorsement of the proposition rather than a rejection of it.
Role at the time: U.S. Representative, New York 8th district
Condemned
Statement summary
Hakeem S. Jeffries voted Yea on H.Con.Res. 93, the House resolution directing the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran.
“On Agreeing to the Resolution: Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran.”
A yea vote supported directing the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran, opposing continued U.S. involvement in the war without congressional authorization.
Role at the time: House Democratic Leader, answering a LindellTV correspondent’s question
Condemned
Statement summary
Asked by LindellTV’s Alison Steinberg whether he supports the DHS investigation of Rep. Ilhan Omar for alleged marriage and immigration fraud, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said “that’s not a credible investigation.” He said the issues “have repeatedly been raised by far right provocateurs who have no interest in the truth” and are “simply trying to undermine the congresswoman.” His characterizations of the accusers are his own.
“That’s not a credible investigation. These issues have repeatedly been raised by far right provocateurs who have no interest in the truth, are simply trying to undermine the congresswoman and prevent her from being able to actually serve the people she ably represents in Minnesota.”
Read the original post (opens in a new tab)LindellTV’s video of House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries answering a question on the Omar investigation00:14–00:35 (Jeffries’s answer).
Why we used this label
Jeffries rejects the investigation, saying “that’s not a credible investigation,” and attributes the accusations to “far right provocateurs” trying to undermine Omar. That is criticism of the accusation and the announced investigation. The closest competing label is “Challenged the characterization”, because he disputes the investigation’s credibility; it loses because he also condemns the motives of those raising it.
Role at the time: House Democratic leader speaking in an ABC interview transcribed by his official office.
Condemned
Statement summary
Jeffries called for urgent action to slow AI development and establish safety guardrails. He criticized Republicans and said Speaker Johnson had ended a bipartisan task force that was preparing to address AI safety.
“we certainly need to begin to act urgently to address the challenges that exist and unfortunately Republicans have abandoned their responsibility. ... We should take decisive action now so that we can slow down ... the pace of development”
Jeffries says Republican leaders abandoned their responsibility to establish safeguards and calls for urgent action to slow development. The criticism targets Washington's present handling of AI risks.
Jeffries said Loomer's remarks were an extension of the Trump administration's treatment of Black women.
“Laura Loomer's extreme racist comments are just an extension of the assault that we've seen on Black women all across America by the Trump administration.”
Role at the time: U.S. Representative for New York's 8th District and House Democratic Leader, posting on his official @RepJeffries account
Condemned
Statement summary
Jeffries posted that the U.S. Supreme Court had upheld a Virginia Supreme Court decision on redistricting that threw out a map approved by millions of voters. He said Republicans now want the same justices to "OVERTURN a clearly-decided Missouri Supreme Court decision they don't like", and that "The American people are watching".
“The U.S. Supreme Court UPHELD a Virginia Supreme Court decision on redistricting that threw out a map approved by millions of voters.
MAGA Republicans now want those same conservative Justices to do the exact opposite and OVERTURN a clearly-decided Missouri Supreme Court decision they don’t like.
The American people are watching.”
Read the original post (opens in a new tab)Rep. Hakeem Jeffries on X: Missouri Supreme Court decision and the U.S. Supreme Court · Hakeem JeffriesFull X post, published September 10, 2026 at 02:08 UTC (10:08 p.m. EDT on September 9)
Why we used this label
The reference point is use of the 2025 map in the 2026 general election. Jeffries criticizes the Republican effort to have the U.S. Supreme Court overturn the Missouri ruling that put the 2022 map in place for November. He does not name the 2025 map, but that ruling is what bars its use, so his criticism opposes using it. The closest competing label, “Challenged the characterization”, loses because he objects to the effort itself and not to a description of it.
Omar calls the search of her home an attempt to target political enemies. The Justice Department says agents executed a judicially authorized warrant in an ongoing criminal investigation. A watchdog group asked the Office of Special Counsel to examine the timing under the Hatch Act.
After a judge barred two recognitions of Trump, he tied Kennedy Center renovation to recognition. Compare his remarks, the ruling and the White House's response.
Trump backs company controls and outside audits for frontier AI. Critics want enforceable federal safeguards, and the White House now calls incident reporting mandatory without identifying enforcement mechanisms or penalties.
Rula Jebreal called Hakeem Jeffries a "bought and paid by AIPAC monkey" and an "errand boy" while denying racial intent, then apologized. The Congressional Black Caucus called the words racist; Wajahat Ali and Joy-Ann Reid stressed context but criticized the language.
Laura Loomer used “ghetto” and a gendered slur for Angie Nixon and four other Black women, then defended the wording as describing Nixon’s conduct, race, and ideology. Critics across parties called the remarks racist, sexist, degrading, offensive, or vile.
Larry Klayman sued Hasan Piker over his August 20 remarks about American Jews, seeking more than $150 million. Piker had earlier disputed the threatening interpretation.
Ilhan Omar denies officials' claim that she married her brother and says DHS has not contacted her. Compare the interviews, her responses and the available evidence about a claimed investigation.
An issue tracker recording where members of Congress and 2026 midterm candidates stand on the unauthorized Iran war, based on their votes on war-powers resolutions, campaign statements, and public remarks.
In a September 25 emergency order, the U.S. Supreme Court said lower courts should not require Missouri to use its 2025 congressional map in November. Republican officials wanted the primary map kept; the Missouri Supreme Court and map opponents said the 2022 map governs.
