LEADER JEFFRIES ON MS NOW: "WE'RE COMMITTED TO ACTUALLY FIGHTING FOR AN AFFORDABLE AMERICA"
Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on MS NOW's PoliticsNation, on the show's 15th anniversary, where he made clear that House Democrats are committed to lowering the high cost of living and ending the affordability crisis that extreme MAGA Republicans have visited on the American people.
REV. AL SHARPTON: Joining me now to kick off this special show, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Thanks for starting off this 15th anniversary edition of PoliticsNation. We have a lot to cover, but I want to start off with some of the day's top headlines. Yesterday marked the six-month anniversary of President Trump's war with Iran, a conflict the administration told us would be over in a matter of days. That's still going half a year later. This week, the administration announced an 'Economic D-Day' against the Iran—against Iran. But have you seen any signs that we're getting anywhere close to a resolution that would calm global markets and get our troops out of harm's way?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, first of all, Rev., great to be with you. Congratulations on 15 amazing years. And so appreciative to be on this anniversary show. And congratulations on a very successful march to defend the vote yesterday. As you indicated, Donald Trump promised that this war of choice in the Middle East would be over in four to six weeks. It's now raged on for more than six months with no end in sight. What we have seen is that Iran is actually stronger now than they were before this conflict was recklessly entered into, and the American people are economically weaker, particularly as it relates to skyrocketing gas prices and skyrocketing food prices. It's clear that Donald Trump and Republicans entered into this conflict with no clear objectives, no plan and no exit strategy. And so, now we find ourselves in a mess where you've had 18 brave, patriotic service members lose their lives, hundreds have been seriously injured and, of course, tens of billions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted.
REV. AL SHARPTON: Now, staying with global affairs, last night the Trump administration announced what it claims is a deal to take control of 65 billion barrels of Venezuela's oil reserves. This is eight months after the administration took out the regime of former President Nicolas Maduro. The consequences of this deal for global energy markets are potentially massive. But what do you make of it? Is there something Trump can actually do? Is there something within his purview? Would it lower prices at the pump, like he claims?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Very unlikely to lower prices. Nothing that they've done has actually driven down the high cost of living, notwithstanding the fact that Donald Trump and Republicans promised that they were going to lower costs on day one. Costs in the United States of America, of course, have not gone down. Costs have gone up as a result of direct actions being taken by Republicans, including the Trump tariffs, which have increased costs on everyday Americans by thousands of dollars per year. And, of course, this reckless war of choice that has resulted in costs, particularly gas prices and food prices, increasing. So this, to me, seems like another desperate attempt to pretend as though the problems that the American people want Donald Trump and Republicans to solve are going to be solved. The only way to actually move this country in a different direction is going to be to make sure that we take back control of the House as well as the Senate in November. We're committed to actually fighting for an affordable America, to lower the cost of groceries and gas and housing and to make sure that healthcare is affordable for every single American.
REV. AL SHARPTON: Now, moving closer to home, President Trump this week massively escalated his trade war with Canada after talks between the two countries collapsed. The White House imposed a new 50% tariff on Canadian products that economists warn could increase costs for American consumers. Trump also signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America. In your opinion, is any of this doing anything to help make living expenses more affordable for Americans or to create jobs? And if not, what is it all about?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, again, I think what we're seeing is Donald Trump throw a temper tantrum because Canada refuses to bend to his will, and I think he's been so used to a Republican Congress that conducts itself like nothing more than a reckless rubber stamp for Donald Trump's extreme agenda. He doesn't like it when people push back against his failed, broken and extreme policies. Certainly this trade war with Canada is going to make life more expensive for the American people in an environment where far too many people are already working hard, they're playing by the rules, but they can't thrive and can barely survive. Life is too expensive in the United States of America. People are drowning in this failed economy, and we're determined to do something about this affordability crisis. It's not a hoax. It's very real. I hear about it every day in the district that I'm privileged to represent in Brooklyn or as I travel the nation. It certainly is also the case, Rev., that pretending to rename Lake Ontario is going to do nothing to actually improve the situation that we're in relative to this failed economy. And we need serious people to engage in serious behavior and that's not what's coming out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, or the Republican-controlled Congress right now.
REV. AL SHARPTON: Now, we're all counting down to the midterms, now just 66 days away. With polls showing approval ratings plummeting for President Trump and his Republican Party, many Democrats are worried this White House is looking for ways to mess with the vote. One area of growing concern is the post office. The administration says it's moving ahead with restrictions to mail-in voting after the Supreme Court earlier in the week lifted an injunction on procedural grounds. However, there's already been another partial injunction issued at the district court level and the legal fight is expected to continue. If the order is allowed to be enacted, states could potentially have to hand over their voter rolls, or the post office might not deliver their ballots. Can you talk about the significance of this situation and what Democrats are doing to push back?
LEADER JEFFRIES: We're going to continue to do everything possible to make sure that this illegitimate, we believe, unlawful and ultimately unconstitutional order does not stand. The Framers of the Constitution were very clear in assigning responsibility to oversee elections to states and local authorities—that was done specifically to avoid some king-like figure from being able to try to parachute in and manipulate an election. And that's why ultimately we believe that on substantive grounds, we will prevail in the courts, including ultimately if it goes back up to the courts, the United States Supreme Court, perhaps it doesn't get there because the lower courts continue to do the right thing. Now we also have to be prepared for the reality that Republicans have adopted voter suppression as an electoral strategy. And that's why, as Democrats, we're committing to making sure that we stand up the largest voter protection effort in the history of the country. That's House Democrats working with Senate Democrats, working with the Democratic Governors, the Democratic Secretaries of State, as well as the Democratic Attorneys General like Tish James, of course, here in New York State. And also partnering with civil society—so the civil rights groups, of course, Reverend Sharpton, making sure we partner with civil liberties organizations, organized labor, good government groups and the faith community. This is an all-hands-on-deck effort underway to make sure that it is the American people, at the end of the day, who are the ones who get to decide who's in control of Congress, who wins these Governors races, not MAGA extremists.
REV. AL SHARPTON: Now, last question. You're spending the August recess crisscrossing the country for Democratic candidates. And next month, you'll be hosting a massive fundraiser with former President Obama right here in New York City. At the same time, Republicans are holding their midterm convention. Democrats are feeling hopeful about their chances in November. But as you know, these midterms are coming in the midst of the most intense attack on voting rights and Black representation in this country since the Civil Rights era. That's why you were with us yesterday at the March on Washington, which I helped organize with the King family in my capacity as head of National Action Network, which you're a member of. Are you optimistic that your party can overcome the Supreme Court decision gutting the Voting Rights Act and Republican efforts to redraw congressional maps to eliminate Black-majority districts throughout the South and elsewhere? Will you be holding the Speaker's gavel when PoliticsNation celebrates its 16th anniversary next year?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we're going to work to do everything that we can to make sure we win back control of the United States House of Representatives on November 3rd. In terms of any change in title, that'll be a January 3rd issue and if we have the opportunity to work on that we certainly will. But our commitment is to make sure that we continue to aggressively push back against all of the extremism unleashed on the American people and that certainly is the attack—unprecedented in modern American history—on Black political representation and the opportunity for African American communities in the South and throughout America to elect the candidate of their choice. This Callais decision was egregious. It's why we need dramatic Supreme Court reform and certainly, as House Democrats, we're committed to making sure one of our top priorities in the majority is passage of the John Robert Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, so we can end the era of voter suppression here in this great country of ours once and for all.
REV. AL SHARPTON: Well, it's our honor that you kicked us off on our anniversary of PoliticsNation. Thank you, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you, Rev.
Full interview can be watched here.