LEADER JEFFRIES ON CNN: "WHY DOES DONALD TRUMP ALWAYS HAVE TO RUIN A GOOD THING?"
Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on CNN News Central, where he made clear that Democrats will continue to focus on pushing back against the corruption being unleashed by Republicans, driving down the high cost of living and fixing our broken healthcare system.
JOHN BERMAN: Joining me now is the top Democrat in the House, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Leader Jeffries, thank you so much for being with us this morning. You now have this $70 billion bill in front of you that funds ICE fully for the next few years. What recourse do you have?
LEADER JEFFRIES: House Democrats are going to strongly oppose this effort to spend $70 billion in taxpayer funds on continuing to provide support for an ICE agency that the American people know is out of control. At the end of the day, right, taxpayer dollars should be used to make life more affordable for the American people, particularly in an environment where the cost of living is far too high. Instead, what Republicans want to do is use $70 billion to continue to unleash masked and untrained ICE agents on American citizens, in some cases brutalizing or killing them, as was the case in Minnesota, or target violently law-abiding immigrant families. It's unacceptable and we're going to fight it to the very end.
JOHN BERMAN: As for the $1.8 billion compensation fund, some people call it a retribution fund, the President calls it anti-weaponization. There's been a lot of talk among even some Republicans about trying to legislate it out of even the possibility of existence. In the end, they didn't. What's your view there of why they were not able to get that done, and what will you do about that now?
LEADER JEFFRIES: It was a close fight in the Senate. Unfortunately, the effort to permanently ban the $1.8 billion corrupt slush fund that Donald Trump is trying to visit upon the American people in such an out-of-control fashion, it fell just short. But in the House, we're going to work incredibly hard to permanently ban it legislatively because this administration, this President, this Acting Attorney General, can't be trusted to do the right thing on behalf of the American people. The notion that anyone who violently beat police officers on January 6 should get a dime of taxpayer dollars is so abhorrent to the American people, we're going to fight it tooth and nail in the House of Representatives. We'll introduce amendments to permanently ban it. It may be on life support, according to some. We've got to permanently pull the plug.
JOHN BERMAN: Leader Jeffries, I know this is the other chamber, but Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner—there's a new story in the New York Times where there are allegations of physically threatening behavior by him against at least one former girlfriend. I want to play you his response to that story. Let's listen.
RECORDING OF GRAHAM PLATNER: There are some allegations in this piece that I just want to be kind of unequivocal about are simply not true. Anything alleging physicality, anything alleging that I knew what my tattoo was, these are the statements of someone who is politically motivated.
JOHN BERMAN: Now, Congressman Ro Khanna, who is part of your conference, is going to campaign with him tonight. He says that Platner—the alleged behavior is wrong and toxic, but still going to campaign with him. What would be your advice to House Democrats about whether or not they should support Graham Platner?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, let me say more generally, violence against women in any way, shape or form is completely and totally unacceptable. And that should be clear to everyone, and everyone needs to draw that bright line in the sand. In terms of the allegations that have been waged with respect to this particular candidate for the Senate, I haven't followed it closely. I will continue to defer to Leader Schumer and Senator Gillibrand in terms of the best path forward in Maine. I haven't had a conversation with Ro Khanna about this. Listen, John, we're focused on trying to take back control of the House of Representatives so we can actually serve as a check-and-balance on an out-of-control administration and focus on the things that matter to the American people, like driving down the high cost of living, fixing our broken healthcare system and cleaning up corruption here in Washington, DC.
JOHN BERMAN: He denies the behavior—we played that sound—but you also just said that any violence of women is unacceptable. Does that mean if it is in any way proven to be true, it should be disqualified?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, let's cross that bridge when we get to it.
JOHN BERMAN: Congressman, I want to play some sound. Kate Bolduan, my co-anchor, esteemed co-anchor, had an interview with Congressman Seth Moulton from Massachusetts yesterday. He's running for Senate in Massachusetts, but he also has some comments about the Democratic establishment in general. I want you to listen to what he said.
RECORDING OF REP. MOULTON: I think there comes a time to pass the torch to the next generation, and what better time than when the Democratic establishment is just not getting it done? I mean, if you honestly are a Democrat today who says Democrats are knocking it out of the park, we're winning all across the board, we shouldn't change a thing, then vote for the establishment, vote for Chuck Schumer, vote for the status quo.
JOHN BERMAN: What do you say to the suggestion that the Democratic establishment—you are the House Leader of Democrats—the Democrat establishment is not getting it done?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we're continuing to work hard in the House of Representatives to do what's necessary to both push back against the extremism that Donald Trump is unleashing against the American people and to chart a path forward that actually is designed to make life better for working-class Americans, middle-class Americans and hardworking American taxpayers. Just this week, House Democrats were successful in passing a War Powers Resolution to end Donald Trump's reckless and costly war of choice that hasn't made the American people safer. Iran is in a stronger position now than what they were prior to the start of this war, and of course, this war is increasing gas prices and putting economic pressure on the American people. We're continuing to do what we need to do aggressively to push back against Donald Trump. We've been winning races for the last 16 months, but we have a task ahead of us that we have to accomplish. And ultimately, I think we'll be judged by whether we take back control of the House in November. That's what we intend to do.
JOHN BERMAN: Other big items. Game two of the NBA finals tonight in San Antonio. Game three will be next week in New York City. President Trump says he plans to attend. What do you think the reception will be?
LEADER JEFFRIES: I'm not sure it's going to be a good reception for him, but why does Donald Trump always have to ruin a good thing? Like, literally, the Knicks haven't been in the NBA finals for 27 years. The city is trying to celebrate this. We've embraced this team, and this guy has to inject himself. I mean, come on, seriously, give us a break. Why doesn't this guy just focus on trying to improve the quality of life of the American people because the Trump economy has been a disaster?
JOHN BERMAN: Are you going when they're in New York?
LEADER JEFFRIES: No, next week we're in session. We'll be here in Washington, D.C., but I hope to gather with a group of friends and colleagues and watch the Knicks be successful in both game three and game four in the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden.
JOHN BERMAN: Leader Jeffries, we just got an alert, if someone could tell me where it's from, that Janet Mills, the Governor of Maine, has been encouraged to reenter the Senate race. She suspended her campaign. She never went through. Could someone tell me, encouraged by whom? Hang on. A source close to her. According to sources, she is being encouraged, I imagine by maybe Democrats, I'm not sure, to reenter the race or unsuspend her campaign. What do you think of that, just days before the actual primary?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, listen, we're just three seats short of taking back control of the House of Representatives. We need to do that because House Republicans have been functioning like a reckless rubber stamp for Donald Trump's extreme agenda, and they haven't done a damn thing to make life better for the American people. I'm going to stay in that lane and focus on doing what we have to do, which is reclaiming the gavels in the Congress.
JOHN BERMAN: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, I appreciate you rolling with the breaking news. I appreciate the Knicks discussion. Sorry you won't be at the games next week. Tickets are tough to afford anyway.
Full interview can be watched here.