Jeffries defends himself following criticism for meeting with Jared Kushner

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Jared Kushner. Getty Images

By Kaanita Iyer

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is defending himself after facing some criticism over his meeting with Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and close adviser.

Jeffries recently met with Kushner privately in New York to discuss ways the White House can collaborate with Democrats on key issues, such as immigration, housing and the cost of living, a source familiar with the meeting told CNN.

The minority leader said Tuesday on CNN’s “The Situation Room,” “We have a responsibility to solve problems and sometimes that means meeting with people on the other side of the aisle to figure out what the opportunities will be in order to address the things that the American people definitively want us to address, which from our standpoint, is the reality that the cost of living in this country is way too high.”

When asked by Wolf Blitzer if anything was accomplished in the meeting, Jeffries said, “No, it was just a high-level, topical conversation.”

In an earlier video post on X, Jeffries said that Kushner “asked for a meeting, and I took it to discuss the affordability crisis that exists that is not a hoax.”

“No one is going to get a pass. We’re going to hold every single member of the Trump cartel accountable, beginning on Day 1,” he continued, going on to tout the ways House Democrats have challenged the Trump administration.

He told CNN on Tuesday that he hasn’t ruled out impeaching Trump if Democrats win back the majority in the House.

Jeffries has emerged as a vocal opponent of Trump in the president’s second term. He has repeatedly insisted that Democrats are focused on lowering costs for Americans, which he says have been driven up by the president’s policies.

Religious Liberty Dinner Highlights Commitment to Freedom of Conscience

24 May 2026

During the event Liberty magazine is recognized for its 120 years of advocacy.

Christelle Agboka, North American Division News

Orlan Johnson, North American Division Public Affairs and Religious Liberty director, addresses guests at the nineteenth annual Religious Liberty Dinner on April 22. [Photo: Art Brondo, NAD]


The North American Division’s (NAD) nineteenth annual Religious Liberty Dinner, held on April 22 in the James Madison Memorial Building at the Library of Congress, championed freedom of conscience as a core human right. Overlooking the gathering, a statue honoring Madison, the fourth United States president and key architect of constitutional religious freedom rights, visually reinforced the evening’s theme.

Hosted by the NAD Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department and Liberty magazine, the dinner brought together 90 religious liberty advocates, faith representatives, government officials, academics, Washington Adventist University honors students, Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders, and other guests.

In his welcome, Orlan Johnson, NAD PARL director, underscored the significance of the gathering. “For nearly two decades this event has served as a space where people of diverse beliefs, backgrounds, and perspectives can come together in unity,” he said.

Attendees greet one another during the North American Division’s nineteenth annual Religious Liberty Dinner. [Photo: Art Brondo, NAD]

Johnson reminded attendees that, globally, many people do not have the freedom to worship—or not worship—as they see fit, ending with an appeal for ongoing advocacy: “Let tonight be more than a dinner.”


Celebrating 120 Years of Liberty Magazine

A highlight of the evening was the official recognition of the 120-year anniversary of Liberty magazine by United States representative Jamie Raskin, who represents Maryland’s eighth congressional district. Notably, the magazine was founded in Takoma Park, Raskin’s hometown and part of his congressional district.

In brief remarks, Raskin praised Liberty magazine for helping keep alive what he called “the founding and most revolutionary principle of our Constitution”—the separation of church and state. He then presented Bettina Krause, Liberty editor and NAD PARL associate director, with a certificate honoring the magazine’s “120 years of zealously championing the separation of church and state, the precondition for freedom and progress in American life.”

Congressman Hakeem Jeffries delivers a Sermon at Brownsville SDA Church ...

 

Congressman Hakeem (Restless Arm Syndrome [RAS]) Jeffrie's part starts @ 1:14:00 Mins.

Jeffries lays out war plan for Democrats to take on Trump

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks at a press conference in Altadena, Calif., on Jan. 30. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Andrew Solender

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Monday unveiled a 10-part plan for House Democrats' efforts to counter many of President Trump's moves to upend the federal bureaucracy.

Why it matters: There has been rising tension between Democratic lawmakers and the party's grassroots over how the minority party, which has very little real power, can combat the new administration's most inflammatory moves.

Driving the news: In a "dear colleague" letter to House Democrats, Jeffries vowed to use a March 14 federal funding deadline as leverage to prevent Trump from freezing or diverting congressionally appropriated funds.

• "I have made clear to House Republican leadership," he wrote, that "any effort to steal taxpayer money from the American people ... must be choked off in the upcoming government funding bill, if not sooner."
• That is in direct response to a now-rescinded Office of Management and Budget memo that ordered federal grants and loans frozen, leading to widespread confusion and locking states out of the Medicaid portal.
• Jeffries also said Democrats will introduce a bill to prevent "unlawful access" to the Treasury Department's payment system after Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency reportedly obtained forced access to it over the objections of top officials.

Between the lines: With Republicans commanding a razor-thin majority in the House, Democrats believe Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will be forced to go to them to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling.

• That would give them the opportunity to try to temper what they see as the excesses of the GOP trifecta now governing Washington, D.C.
• Some Republicans had hoped to include the debt ceiling in the massive party-line fiscal bill they are planning, but Johnson has signaled it will likely have to be passed on a bipartisan basis.

Zoom in: On top of those moves, Jeffries previewed a continuation of the public messaging campaign that Democrats credit for the rescission of the OMB memo.

• He urged members, for example, to reach out to canvass their districts for constituents affected by Trump's actions, saying he plans to hold a tele-town hall Monday night.
• He also wrote that Democrats on the House Oversight and Judiciary committees will lay out for their colleagues ongoing lawsuits to prevent some Trump acts like firing inspectors general and purging the civil service.

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