Jeffries-Kushner meeting sparks Democrat backlash
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The gist
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries met privately with Jared Kushner, sparking backlash from his own party. The meeting, reported by the New York Times, comes months before midterm elections where.
Background
The meeting was reported by the New York Times on Sunday, citing five people with knowledge of the discussion. It comes as Democrats and Republicans are fiercely attacking each other ahead of the November midterm elections, with Democrats favored to retake the House, which would make Jeffries speaker. Democrats are expected to use their oversight power to investigate the Trump administration, including self-enrichment by the president and his family. There are longstanding conflict-of-interest concerns about Kushner's business dealings with foreign nations while advising on foreign affairs.
How it unfolded
- recent weeksHakeem Jeffries and Jared Kushner met privately to discuss potential areas of common ground, according to five people with knowledge of the meeting.
- Aug 23, 2026The New York Times reported the meeting, sparking backlash from Democrats and Trump critics.
- Aug 23, 2026Jeffries issued a statement defending his approach, saying Democrats will continue to fight for an affordable America.
- Aug 24, 2026Fox News and other outlets covered the backlash from progressives, with some accusing Jeffries of betrayal.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Jeffries said in a statement that Democrats will continue to make clear that the affordability crisis is not a hoax and that transformational policy change is acceptable.
- Public
- Tommy Vietor, former Obama aide, posted that Kushner has no government job and only uses family connections for money, and Jeffries should only work with him with demands for documents and subpoenas.
- Support
- Senator Chris van Hollen said he is in favor of people meeting with whoever they want to discuss ideas, but it's another thing to see something real come out of that.
- Caution
- Adam Kinzinger, former Republican congressman, posted 'Make this make sense' in reference to the meeting, expressing skepticism.
Still unverified
The meeting was reported by the New York Times based on five people with knowledge, but Jeffries did not confirm or deny the meeting in his statement. The exact date and content of the meeting are not publicly confirmed.