Alex GriffingApr 27th, 2026, 4:49 pm

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) slammed criticism of his anti-Trump rhetoric following the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting over the weekend, in which President Donald Trump was targeted.

“I know you said you stand by your comments. At the same time, you have been the subject of threats as well, so with respect to this comment about “maximum warfare” — even if it’s about redistricting — why not tone down the language here in this moment?” Jeffries was asked at a Capitol Hill presser.

Jeffries replied, “I think that what’s interesting to me, as you pointed out… The so-called White House press secretary, who’s a disgrace — she’s a stone-cold liar — had the nerve to stand up there and read talking points being critical of statements, all taken out of context, that Democrats have made, and didn’t have a word to say about anything that MAGA extremists have said or done, including providing aid and comfort to violent insurrectionists here at this Capitol on January 6, who brutally beat police officers.” He continued:

The president then pardoned those violent rioters, many of whom have gone back into communities across the country to re-offend — and, as you pointed out, one of whom threatened to kill me. He said, “Kill the terrorists.” Where did that language come from? What Republicans use that language? Why did that pardoned MAGA extremist, that violent insurrectionist, choose to use the language of terrorism directed at me when he threatened to kill me at an event?

And so how can we take them seriously when they raise these partisan attacks and completely ignore the fact that a lot of folks — including Governor Shapiro — his home was attacked by an arsonist when he and his kids and wife were there? And this so-called White House press secretary wants to lecture America and lecture us about civility? Get lost. Clean up your own house before you have anything to say to us about the language that we use.

Watch the clip above via C-SPAN.

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