House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., during a news conference in Washington, D.C., November 4.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
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Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the New York Democrat who is poised to become the next House speaker, said his party will push to end the war in Iran and hold Trump administration officials accountable after its midterm victories. But we don’t yet know how far the Democrats will go.
Talk with Morning edition On Friday, Jeffries called the conflict a “war of choice” that “has caused the prices of gasoline, diesel and fertilizer to skyrocket,” increasing the cost of everyday consumer goods.
He said Democrats “shouldn’t have to wait” for the new Congress to act.
But with majorities in both chambers, Jeffries said Democrats could pass a war powers resolution to try to force President Trump to end the war. If passed, it would offer President Trump a choice between sign it or veto it. To override a veto, a two-thirds majority in both chambers would be required. For now, Democrats do not have a veto-proof majority in either chamber.
Jeffries did not support impeachment proceedings against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky threatened to force a House vote on eight articles of impeachment unless Hegseth resigned.
“We will have this conversation,” Jeffries said, calling Hegseth “the least qualified secretary of defense in American history.”
When asked directly whether Hegseth should be impeached, Jeffries responded, “I don’t want to get ahead of the caucus.”
“He has to go,” he added.
Jeffries said the House Judiciary and Oversight committees would investigate allegations of wrongdoing by the Trump administration.
Asked about voters calling for new Democratic leadership, including the next House speaker, Jeffries said the decision was up to the House Democratic caucus. He defended Democrats’ record, saying they had “fought Trump on every issue so far, then decisively defeated him a few days ago.”
Listen to the full interview using the blue button above, or read the transcript below, lightly edited for length and clarity.
Leila Fadel: The person expected to be the next Speaker of the House and its first black Speaker is the current House Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries, and he joins me now to talk about what that will look like. So your party has a real mandate here in Congress, and voters expect you to make life more affordable. What is the top priority on your agenda if elected Speaker of the House?
Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Leader: Well, it was a tremendous victory for the American people and a strong rebuke of MAGA extremism, which has made life more expensive for ordinary Americans. Despite their promises to reduce the cost of living from day one. There are several steps we can take to create a more comfortable way of life for the American people, including ending the war of choice in Iran, which has caused the prices of gasoline, diesel, and fertilizer to skyrocket and, as a result, increased the cost of groceries and everyday goods for the American people.
Leila Fadel: How will you know?
Jeffries: Well, we shouldn’t have to wait for the new Congress for that to happen. The American people have spoken clearly. Even the Vice President has expressed his understanding that it is time to end the war, or the Republicans will continue to pay the electoral consequences for this, but in the majority, having both the House and the Senate, we can propose strong war powers resolutions for the President to adopt, bring them to his desk, and then explain to the American people if, in fact, he decides to use his veto.
Fadel: Do you think he will be willing to work with you on this? I mean, he’s given mixed messages, saying I’m willing to work with the Democrats, but I’ll also be “Mr. Veto.”
Jeffries: I think it’s extremely important and that we all listen to what has been expressed by the American people throughout this campaign. We promised that we would fight tirelessly for a more affordable America, work to bring down high prices for groceries, gas and housing, fight to make health care affordable for every American and, at the same time, hold crooks accountable for all the corruption that has befallen the American people. And corruption has an economic cost for which the American people have clearly concluded that the Republicans have imposed a heavy responsibility on them. So I hope that all of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, following the roaring voices of the American people, will conclude that we must act decisively to make life affordable for the American people.
Fadel: I want to ask a question on an urgent subject. Republican Congressman and Trump critic Thomas Massie of Kentucky said he would force a House vote on eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if he does not resign. Here’s what Hegseth responded in a video posted online:
“You see, their policies don’t work, so their obsession with political theater disguised as power drives them to try to destroy their opponents. It’s all about the politics of personal destruction. It didn’t work against President Trump, and it won’t work with me.”
Will you and other Democrats vote for impeachment if this happens?
Jeffries: We’ll have that conversation. We’ll have that conversation when we caucus immediately after we return, but I’ve been very clear about my position on Pete Hegseth. He is the least qualified Secretary of Defense in American history. He should never have been confirmed by Senate Republicans, and we have seen all the damage he has done to the American people, to the world, and to the Pentagon in terms of military preparedness, and so I initially called for Pete Hegseth to be fired by Donald Trump in the spring of 2025. I have not changed my position, and he should have resigned or been fired a long time ago. But certainly in the wake of the resounding rebuke of MAGA extremism that the American people received in the election a few days ago,
Fadel: But is that so? Should he be dismissed?
Jeffries: Well, as I indicated, we will have this conversation as a caucus together, and I don’t want to get ahead of the caucus, but I have been very firm and clear in my opinions when it comes to Pete Hegseth. He has to leave.
Fadel: You said yesterday that the Americans did not want the Democrats to take revenge; they want you to get things done on their behalf, especially around affordability. Today, Congressman Robert Garcia, the new chairman of the Oversight Committee, struck a very different tone. He posted “Attorney Stand Up” online and outlined a plan that included investigating the Trump family for possible crimes during the next Congress. Are you on the same page when it comes to responsibility?
Jeffries: Yeah. Well, we have made clear repeatedly over the past two years that we must relentlessly make life more affordable for the American people, while demanding accountability for those who have broken the law, violated standards, and unleashed unprecedented corruption on the American people. So that’s what I expect, and we’re working closely, of course, with the Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee and the Democrats on the Oversight Committee, who will be leading our accountability efforts, as well as all the relevant committees in Congress, because the levels of corruption have been unprecedented, and we have made it clear to the American people that if there are people out there who have stolen from the American people, wronged the American people, or screwed over the American people, we are going to ask for accounts to scammers. We will operate as a separate and equal branch of government, unlike what my Republican colleagues have unfortunately done, which is bury their heads in the sand and be nothing more than a reckless endorsement of Donald Trump’s extreme agenda. So we have to follow the facts. We must enforce the law. We must be guided by the Constitution and we must establish a government of the people, by the people and for the people.
Fadel: Your party won a historic victory this week, but we were across the country talking to people, and at the same time as they were choosing your candidates, voters were expressing their dissatisfaction with the party’s leadership and what they saw as an inability to stand up to Trump in any meaningful way. Over the past two years, they have wanted new blood in the party. They said they wanted a completely new leadership of the party. This includes a future Speaker of the House. What do you say to voters who are skeptical of Democratic establishment leaders like you?
Jeffries: Well, we’re going to turn it over to the House Democratic caucus as we chart a path forward. But we’ve fought Trump on every issue so far, and then we decisively defeated him a few days ago.
The digital version was edited by Treye Green and Jason Breslow.
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