Leader Jeffries on MS NOW's The Briefing with Jen Psaki
Joining me now is House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Leader Jeffries, there is always something crazy to ask you about.
So let me start there.
I mean, as part of his obsession with pushing through the Save America Act,
which is so inaccurately named, Trump reportedly told Mike Johnson
no one gives a bleep about housing.
What's your reaction to that?
Well, you know, it may be the case that Donald Trump's billionaire friends
who hang out with him regularly at Mar-a-Lago don't care about housing
because they own houses all across the country and the world.
But everyday Americans certainly care about the cost of housing
and the fact that housing costs have skyrocketed out of control,
both in terms of rent and in terms of the ability
of everyday Americans to purchase a first home,
which has always been central to the American dream.
But, you know, this is all consistent with the fact that Donald Trump
believes the affordability crisis is a hoax.
This from the same guy who promised to lower costs on day one,
but costs haven't gone down under Donald Trump's presidency.
They've gone up.
Housing costs gone up.
Health care costs have gone up.
Grocery prices have gone up.
Now gas prices have gone up and utility costs have gone up.
His presidency has been a complete and total failure.
One of the things that is certainly contributing to that is,
of course, the war in Iran that Donald Trump started
that he is continuing to advocate for
and seems to have no plan for.
Right now, as you know well,
Republicans have a historically slim majority in the House.
There's so many people who feel like there's a new retirement
being announced every single day.
I know in the Senate they are trying to get to hold them to account
by getting them to testify under oath.
The key cabinet members like Hegseth and Rubio.
Have you thought about how you can exploit that razor thin majority,
especially as you kind of,
especially given the unpopularity of the war in Iran,
how costly it is, how much Americans hate it,
and how there doesn't seem to be a plan here?
Well, we certainly are going to continue to press
for administration figures to show up.
In fact, next week upon our returning to Congress,
the House Intel Committee will have several members
from the administration in terms of the intelligence officials
testify publicly under oath about threats across the world
that are directed to the United States of America.
And we will certainly press them about the information
that the administration claims to have
with respect to whether there was actually any imminent plans
for Iran to attack the United States.
Any suggestion that they had the capacity or capability
to actually do it because we've seen no evidence
to suggest that is true.
We'll press them on Iran's nuclear aspirations,
particularly given the fact that Donald Trump claimed
several months ago that the United States
had completely and totally obliterated Iran's nuclear program.
Now he's saying something entirely different.
And so certainly we will keep our foot on the gas pedal
to get answers from the administration
because nothing compelling has been forthcoming
from this group of people who are really part
of a Trump cartel.
Today, as you well know, there were two separate shootings,
one at a Michigan synagogue.
This could be something you raise next week, certainly.
And another at Old Dominion University in Virginia.
We know there have been, of course, cuts at the FBI.
There's been a redirecting of resources
at the Department of Homeland Security
made by this administration.
Kash Patel is apparently training as an MMA fighter.
Who knows what's going on over there?
But given the current rise in domestic security threats,
what we saw today, given a lot of people watching right now
are scared, do you trust that this administration
has their eye on the ball here on the threats
that are coming in potentially to this country?
No, it's not clear at all that the administration
has actually been focused on making sure
that we are as safe and secure here in America,
particularly because so many resources
over the last 15 or so months from this administration
have been directed at flooding ice
and making sure that these agents can be unleashed
on American communities using taxpayer dollars
to brutalize and kill American citizens,
as was the case with Renee Nicole Goode and Alex Pretty,
and or violently target law-abiding immigrant families
when these extremists are the ones who promise
to go after the worst of the worst
and to focus only on violent criminals
who are here illegally,
and they've done the exact opposite.
And so the administration has been far too focused
on jamming their extreme ideology
down the throats of the American people
or doing things like the Trump tariffs,
which of course are raising costs on everyday Americans
as opposed to actually focusing
on driving down the high cost of living,
which is the democratic plan.
And so, unfortunately, you're correct, Jen,
that there's been no evidence in real time
that the administration is actually focused
on the things that matter.
And that's one of the reasons why the war is so unpopular.
And the American people have actually concluded,
even in a recent Fox News poll,
that this war is not making us safer.
In fact, it may be putting us in harm's way.
Leader Hakeem Jeffries, so much on your plate every day.
We'll be looking forward to watching this hearing next week.
Thank you so much for being here with me tonight.
Thank you so much.