AMAC Exclusive – By Seamus Brennan
After losing the House of Representatives and the national popular vote this election cycle, one might think Democrats would take a moment to reflect on the growing radicalism within their ranks and conclude that they’re out of step with the electorate. But if the elevation of Hakeem Jeffries to replace Nancy Pelosi is any indication, Democrats are only further doubling down on the same far-left agenda, and the extreme progressive left’s grip on Democratic Party leadership is as strong as ever.
At first glance, not much distinguishes Jeffries’s record from other top Democrats, which could lead some to believe that he represents a more “moderate” choice as Democratic House Leader. But beneath the conciliatory tone and media spin, Jeffries is every bit as extreme and just as beholden to the far left as was Pelosi – a bad sign for both Democrats and the country as a whole.
For starters, despite more than two years of handwringing on the left about Republican “election denial” being a “threat to democracy,” Hakeem Jeffries is perhaps one of the more prolific “election deniers” in any political party. Following Donald Trump’s 2016 victory, Jeffries repeatedly called Trump an “illegitimate” president and cast doubt over his decisive 2016 victory. “The more we learn about the 2016 election, the more ILLEGITIMATE it becomes,” he tweeted. “America deserves to know whether we have a FAKE President in the Oval Office.” He has also baselessly claimed that the GOP “cheat[ed]” in the 2016 election.
Perhaps more concerningly, Jeffries has demonstrated an unsettling level of vitriol toward pro-life Americans that is unmatched by even most of his Democratic colleagues in Congress. Earlier this year, he referred to the pro-life movement as a “cult,” and in the aftermath of the Dobbs decision this summer, smeared American citizens who believe life begins at conception as “extreme” and “the threat in this country.” Like virtually every other elected Democrat, Jeffries supports no restrictions on abortion and believes in permitting it up until the moment of birth – or perhaps even after, as he and many other Democrats have refused to support legislation mandating that doctors provide medical care to infants born alive as a result of failed abortions.
But these comments only scratch the surface of Jeffries’ deep-seated radicalism. Like his colleagues, Jeffries has time and time again challenged the integrity of the Supreme Court and other American institutions. Following Trump’s nomination of now-Justice Amy Coney Barrett in the fall of 2020, Jeffries called for “war.” As recently as this year, he referred to the Court’s conservative justices as “ghosts of the Confederacy,” even though one of those Justices, Clarence Thomas, is a descendent of slaves. He has also advocated for statehood for Washington, D.C.—which would betray the Founders’ constitutional vision and hand two Senate seats to the Democrats.
Jeffries has toed the line of left-wing extremism in essentially every policy area—including on immigration, crime, the economy, energy, and voting. He has criticized border wall construction as “immoral,” supports granting amnesty to illegal alien gang members and drug traffickers, and has waved aside concerns about the border crisis under Biden as “not based in reality.” He stood by as left-wing rioters and agitators waged war on American cities in the summer of 2020, and stated that Kyle Rittenhouse—who was the victim of a merciless smear campaign for defending himself during rioting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and was found innocent after a trial by jury—should be “lock[ed] up” with the key “thrown away.”
Jeffries has also downplayed the inflation crisis, falsely claiming that “wages are up.” On energy, he has failed to hold Biden’s feet to the fire for inflicting historically high gas prices on Americans. On elections, he has supported extending voting rights to noncitizens. And last but certainly not least, he has routinely praised anti-Semites in his party, lauding Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib as “thoughtful colleagues” and saying he has “great respect” for widely-recognized anti-Semite Omar.
That Jeffries’s selection as the new party leader is not generating more outrage not only from the right but also from the media and independent voters is not evidence of his moderation. Rather, it is merely the latest in a long series of signs that point to the utter decay of the Democratic Party and its submission to some of the most radical, vile, and un-American voices in the nation.
That Hakeem Jeffries is seen as a moderate is only proof of how far left the party has gone—and how far out of touch its leaders have become.