In a startling series of remarks during a press conference on Friday, January 31, Democrat Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) urged his party to oppose President Donald Trump’s election not only through legislative efforts but also by taking action “in the streets.”
Jeffries characterized the MAGA agenda as “extreme,” a claim that is fundamentally inaccurate, as it largely revolves around the enforcement of existing laws, particularly concerning immigration and deportation policies. He further asserted that the agenda primarily serves the interests of billionaires, a statement that is also misleading given the administration’s tariff and anti-globalization stance.
He stated, while making these erroneous assertions, “At this moment, we must remain focused on protecting everyday New Yorkers and Americans who are facing an assault from an extreme MAGA Republican agenda that seeks to reduce taxes for billionaire donors and affluent corporations, leaving New Yorkers and working-class Americans to bear the financial burden.”
Moreover, he insisted that the MAGA agenda is “not acceptable” and must be confronted “in the streets,” in addition to legal and legislative avenues. He declared, “That’s not acceptable. We are going to fight it legislatively. We’re going to fight it in the courts, and we’re going to fight it in the streets.”
Remarkably, Jeffries’ fellow Democrats seemed to concur with his sentiments. For instance, Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) remarked, as reported by the Hill, “House Democrats are now fully engaged. The bell has rung. We recognize this as a constitutional test, and we will be vigorously pushing back.”
This Democrat elaborated that the notion of a “street fight” is commendable and that it could not have been articulated more effectively. He added, “Leader Jeffries described it as a legal fight, a legislative fight, and a street fight. And I couldn’t put it better.”
The Republican Party expressed strong disapproval of Hakeem Jeffries’ statements. For instance, the Trump administration issued a statement asserting, “During a press conference this morning in Brooklyn, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) made a reprehensible call for violence, urging his supporters to ‘fight’ against President Trump’s agenda ‘in the streets.’ Will Minority Leader Jeffries issue an apology for this abhorrent threat? Or will he persist in promoting the same calls for violence that have troubled the nation for years?”
In a similar vein, the Libs of TikTok X account urged Democrats to denounce the calls for violence, stating, “House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Trump’s Agenda: ‘we’re gonna fight it in the courts and we’re gonna fight it in the streets.’ I anticipate Democrats will condemn Hakeem Jeffries’ incitement to violence.”
A commenter on the Libs of TikTok post remarked on the troubling nature of Jeffries’ comments, noting, “What’s remarkable is the pause…he contemplated calling for violence and then proceeded to say ‘we’re gonna fight it in the streets’ regardless. This behavior warrants expulsion from Congress. We cannot repeat the events of the summer of 2020.”
