Hakeem Jeffries Just Can’t Get It Right

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries undoubtedly had big shoes to fill when he took over for Nancy Pelosi. But so far, he has failed to meet the moment – and his party is suffering as a result.

The one silver lining for Democrats last November was that the party netted two seats in the House, though they still came up just short of a majority. With Joe Biden forced into an early retirement and Kamala Harris defeated in humiliating fashion, Democrats were desperate for someone to step up to unify a party left in shambles.

Many hoped that Jeffries would be that leadership figure. His election as House Minority Leader in 2023 was supposed to represent the passing of the torch to a younger generation of Democrats after Pelosi led the caucus for 20 years. Fawning journalists initially hailed the largely unknown New Yorker as a rising star, even comparing him to Barack Obama and lauding his supposed oratorical skills.

However, Jeffries has failed to find his footing, and now the normally friendly media and even some elected Democrats are beginning to grumble. Colleagues are complaining that he hasn’t been an effective counter to Trump and isn’t doing enough to frustrate Speaker Mike Johnson’s agenda.

A February opinion piece in Bloomberg News titled “Hakeem Jeffries Needs to Get it Together” by columnist Nia-Malika Henderson is indicative of the criticism Jeffries is facing.

Henderson laments that Jeffries has appeared “overly scripted, cautious, and out-matched” – descriptions eerily reminiscent of liberal concerns about Kamala Harris last year. “Jeffries’ tenure is a microcosm of the Democratic Party’s overall failure to gain traction in countering President Donald Trump as he slashes through the federal government and upends global alliances,” Henderson continued.

Things became particularly toxic for Jeffries amid the fallout from Democrats’ failed efforts to block Republicans’ continuing resolution to fund the government last month. Despite the fact that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer – a fellow New Yorker – made clear that he intended to allow Republicans to pass the funding measure, Jeffries intentionally placed himself and his caucus in conflict with Schumer, urging Senate Democrats to filibuster the bill.

The fiasco ended up as a major embarrassment for Jeffries, opening House Democrats to charges that they voted to shut down the government. House Republicans’ campaign arm quickly launched ads targeting vulnerable Democrats over the vote.

Jeffries made things worse when he responded “next question” when asked if Schumer should still lead Senate Democrats. As Politico noted, “it was the diss heard around the Capitol and in Democratic circles around the country” that “sent a worrying signal” to Democrats.

CNN, meanwhile, reported late last month that Jeffries is “at a crossroads” as his party “urgently search[es] for a strategy.” In a sign of just how much Jeffries is struggling, he reportedly had an hour-long sit-down conversation with Pelosi on how to move forward in the role.

“He’s gonna have to lead, or Chuck leads. This is his moment, so step up,” an unnamed senior House Democrat told CNN. Another Democrat member relayed that there have been “a lot of rumblings and unhappiness in the caucus about him,” as he has been “slow” to respond and rally opposition to Trump and Republicans.

The fact that CNN is running such a story is itself a sign that Jeffries’ hold on leadership could be growing tenuous. The article reads like a personal warning to Jeffries from whoever leaked the details of his chat with Pelosi.

Axios has also reported mounting tensions within the House Democrat caucus. One anonymous member criticized Jeffries for not being “a brawler,” while another said simply, “people are pissed.” Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia noted that Democrats are “still looking for that national spokesperson. It could be that Hakeem becomes that national voice… It hasn’t happened yet.”

Others on the left have been more candid in blasting Jeffries for his failures. Commentator “Charlamagne Tha God,” who is particularly popular in the black community, has called on Democrats to primary both Schumer and Jeffries. “So, who is supposed to be the leader?” Charlamagne asked in a recent clip before mocking Jeffries as “Business Casual Morpheus” and “Payless Obama.”

Jeffries has done himself no favors, and he was undoubtedly put in a tough spot last November. But his plight is largely symbolic of the predicament the Democrat Party as a whole now finds itself in. Jeffries is caught between appeasing the dominant far-left wing of his party and facing the undeniable reality that most of Democrats’ positions – from opposing Voter ID to allowing men to compete in women’s sports – are deeply unpopular with the American people.

However, as AMAC Newsline reported when Jeffries became the favorite to take over for Pelosi, he himself is a full-blown progressive who has helped usher his party leftward. The seemingly impossible task he now faces is a monster of his own making. If he fails, he will have no one to blame but himself.

AMAC Newsline contributor Matt Lamb is an associate editor for The College Fix. He previously worked for Students for Life of America, Students for Life Action, and Turning Point USA. He previously interned for Open the Books. His writing has also appeared in the Washington Examiner, The Federalist, LifeSiteNews, Human Life Review, Headline USA, and other outlets. The opinions expressed are his own. Follow him @mattlamb22 on X.