LEADER JEFFRIES ON MS NOW: “TAXPAYER DOLLARS SHOULD BE USED TO MAKE LIFE MORE AFFORDABLE FOR EVERYDAY AMERICANS, NOT KILL THEM”

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on MS NOW's PoliticsNation, where he emphasized that House Democrats will continue to fight back against the cruelty, crisis and corruption being visited against the American people by Donald Trump and his sycophantic co-conspirators.

REV. AL SHARPTON: Joining me now is House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Thank you, Leader, for being with us. Let's start with the partial government shutdown, largely over DHS funding, and the breaking news tonight that you've reportedly told Speaker Mike Johnson that House Democrats will not provide the votes to pass the government funding bill through the fast-track suspension of the rules process. This will force House leadership to go through regular order and potentially jeopardize passage of the package. What can you tell us, Leader Jeffries, that this will do and why you've made that decision?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, good evening, Rev. It's great to be with you. We clearly have a DHS and ICE agency that is completely and totally out of control. Taxpayer dollars should be used to make life more affordable for everyday Americans, not kill them or brutalize law-abiding immigrant families, which is what we're seeing in Minneapolis and all across the country. We've laid out a clear set of demands. We're in alignment with the way in which Leader Schumer and Senate Democrats have articulated those demands. And we're going to need to see dramatic change as it relates to how the Department of Homeland Security operates moving forward. In terms of the legislation that's gonna be in front of the House on Monday, we need a full and complete debate. And what I've made clear to House Republicans is that they cannot simply move forward with legislation taking a my-way-or-the-highway approach in the absence of House Democrats convening, which we're going to do tomorrow, and having a discussion about the appropriate way forward and making sure that, in this two-week period of time that is contemplated by the continuing resolution that would freeze ICE funding for 14 days, that there's a robust ironclad path to bringing about the type of change that the American people are demanding.

REV. AL SHARPTON: So to get, so I'm clear on this, to really make sure I understand this, the Democrats in the House that you are the Leader of are saying that you want some definitive things done before you even get to a two-week deadline or two-week extension running out. You want to see something definitive, including the fact that many Democrats around the country, many people, want to see something about ICE, you want to see some melting of the ICE before you vote for the package.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, what we're saying is that we need a clear path forward. And we haven't had that discussion with the White House or anyone within the administration. And the things that we've talked about needing to occur-and we understand that we're gonna have to build this into law and that's what's contemplated, we believe at least over the next two weeks-are things like no masks, body cameras being mandatory. We need judicial warrants before ICE can storm homes or rip people out of their cars in the horrific ways that we've been seeing. We need to make sure that ICE agents who violate the law can actually be criminally investigated and prosecuted by state and local authorities when their laws have been violated. There is no such thing, we believe, as absolute immunity, and it was horrifying to hear the Vice President make that observation a few weeks ago. We need ICE and DHS agencies to conduct themselves like every other law enforcement agency in the country. And what we're saying is that if we're contemplating a two-week freeze in order to get us to a place where we can see dramatic change, we want to understand that there's an ironclad path forward to get those things done.

REV. AL SHARPTON: Now earlier today, a federal judge denied an emergency request from Minnesota to end Operation Metro Surge in the state. This as we've learned that Ohio appears to be the next target for an ICE surge and the DOJ has launched a civil rights investigation into Alex Pretti's killing, but no federal investigation has been announced in the killing of Renee Good. Now, thousands of people flooded Minneapolis' chilly streets for a second straight Friday calling for ICE to leave Minnesota and other states. We have seen additional demonstrations today. But what's your message to the people who want to see ICE out of their communities and who want to see these killings fully investigated with agents held accountable both by the state and the federal government?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, the American way is a full and complete investigation. Nobody is above the law. But what we're seeing from this Trump Department of Justice, from the Trump administration, in fact, from high-level members of the Trump administration, including so-called Secretary Kristi Noem, are excuses and lies trying to cover up an investigation, slandering Renee Nicole Good as a domestic terrorist, slandering Alex Pretti as a domestic terrorist or as Stephen Miller called him-a would-be assassin-when the American people know that the exact opposite was the case. And we are seeing thousands of people in Minnesota and beyond peacefully and powerfully and patriotically protest. And that's consistent with American values. What the Department of Justice is doing-they can only be trusted to investigate Donald Trump's political enemies. They can't be trusted to conduct a fair, an impartial and an independent investigation, which is why one of the demands that we've been making in terms of what needs to happen moving forward with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice is to make it clear that state and local officials, like the Attorney General of the great state of Minnesota AG Keith Ellison or others, have the ability to investigate federal agents who break the law.

REV. AL SHARPTON: Now, one of your Democratic Caucus Members, Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, was sprayed with vinegar this week at a town hall by an assailant now facing federal assault charges. The assailant appears to be a supporter of President Trump and the attack follows Trump's claims this week that the DOJ and Congress are investigating Omar, who he suggested, without evidence, to have staged the town hall incident. A new report from U.S. Capitol Police has found threats against Members of Congress have spiked in 2025 for a third year in a row. So how do you keep your Members safe when the President is sending these kinds of messages, even when his administration is claiming they want to de-escalate tensions?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, Donald Trump needs to tone down his irresponsible rhetoric, which is fanning the flames of hatred against Members of Congress generally, and, of course, in this specific instance, against Representative Ilhan Omar, who's a hard-working, conscientious, courageous public servant trying to do the best that she can under very difficult circumstances, to serve the people that she's privileged to represent in Minnesota. We need to continue to lean in and do everything possible to protect the safety and the well-being of Members of Congress and their families so that during this very fraught time, and we've seen political violence increase over the last 10 years to levels that are unacceptable, that Members of Congress in the House and in the Senate can actually serve the people that they represent in this very challenging moment of trial, of tribulation and of turbulence.

REV. AL SHARPTON: Let me ask you something. You said yesterday that there was no basis for independent journalist Don Lemon's arrest by federal agents in connection with a protest at a Minneapolis church this month. Then he was charged with conspiracy and interfering with the First Amendment rights of worshipers, along with seven other people, almost all of whom were Black, including three people arrested yesterday-two local activists and a Minneapolis-based journalist who live-streamed her arrest by FBI agents. Seems like the President has been especially keen on going after Black protesters and journalists, Congressman. What are your thoughts on that?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, there's no doubt that Black and brown communities have been under assault during this presidency. Working class communities of every color have been under assault during this presidency. The economy under assault, healthcare under assault, nutritional assistance under assault, we know farmers and veterans have been under assault, due process, the American way of life, the rule of law and democracy itself. There's been an all-out assault on the American people and Black and brown communities have been bearing a significant share of that extremism that has been unleashed here in the United States of America. There was no basis, in law or in fact, to arrest Don Lemon or any of the other journalists. We know that Don Lemon is an accomplished journalist with decades of service consistent with the First Amendment in this country. Donald Trump is trying to intimidate people who stand up to him. But the American people have demonstrated over the last year, we will not be intimidated by these extremists. The American people are pushing back significantly across the board. They know that the Trump administration and the extremists in the Republican Party have failed the country. Their policies have been a disaster. It's one of the reasons why in the off-year election in November, Republicans are losing up and down the ballot and all across the country, decisively. And it's my expectation that that's going to continue. That's why Democrats are going to take back control of the House of Representatives in November.

REV. AL SHARPTON: Let's come back to Capitol Hill for a moment, Congressman. More than three million new Jeffrey Epstein files were released by the DOJ yesterday, the largest release so far. And what the DOJ says is the last batch of the Epstein Files coming more than a month after the mid-December deadline mandated by Congress. Still, DOJ hasn't released all related documents in its possession. What's your reaction and what's the next step for the House in terms of investigating this since we don't have all of the documents?

LEADER JEFFRIES: The Department of Justice has failed to comply with the law, which requires a complete release of documents consistent with the sentiments of the courageous survivors of the Epstein affairs and the horrendous situations that they were put into by this monster, as well as the people who were associated with him. The American people deserve complete and total transparency, so there can be complete and total accountability. This is a law that was passed and, in fact, signed by President Donald Trump over his initial objections for months. So it's clear that if you are withholding approximately three million documents, which is the case right now, we have to ask the question, what is the Trump administration continuing to hide from the American people?

REV. AL SHARPTON: Now, let's stay on the Hill for a moment. The Supreme Court is set to decide on whether Trump can fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook. Fed Chair Ron Powell is watching that case closely as his term enters its last few months. Yesterday, Trump announced his pick for Powell's replacement, former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh, whose name popped up in the Epstein files yesterday, though there's not any evidence of wrongdoing on his behalf. Warsh's father-in-law is a long-time Trump ally who's pushed the President on taking over Greenland. What's your reaction to all of this? After all the Fed is supposed to be-it's supposed to be independent? So how do you react to all of this?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, Donald Trump's policies have failed the American people in terms of the economy. They promised to lower the high cost of living on day one. Costs haven't gone down under the Trump presidency. Costs have gone up. Housing costs out of control. Grocery costs out of control. Electricity bills out of control. Healthcare costs out of control. Child care costs out of control. Life has become more difficult economically under Donald Trump policies and under Republican policies. And so, under normal circumstances, his pick to be the next Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board should be closely scrutinized to make sure that it's actually someone who's going to help the American people out as opposed to just following direction from Donald Trump and bending the knee to his extreme ideas which have already proven to be a disaster. And good for Senator Thom Tillis who's indicated because of this assault that has taken place on Lisa Cook, on Jerome Powell and on others that he doesn't intend to allow any of Trump's nominations, including the one related to being the next chair, to move forward. I completely and totally support that position and hope that every single Member of the United States Senate freezes any nominations related to Donald Trump's efforts to alter the independence of the Federal Reserve Board.

REV. AL SHARPTON: Now, later in this hour, I'll be talking with the chair of the Fulton County, Georgia Board of Election Commissioners, following the FBI raid this week on the County Board of Elections Office to seize 2020 ballots. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was on site for the raid, raising questions about why the U.S. spy chief was present for a domestic law enforcement action and concerns about how the President may use the federal law enforcement to potentially influence the midterm elections. The administration has said that the DNI plays a crucial role in election security. What do you make of that explanation, particularly with the midterms nine months away and having such significance for the future of this country?

LEADER JEFFRIES: The explanation offered by the Trump administration has zero credibility. There was absolutely no reason for the Director of National Intelligence to be present at what should be a law enforcement activity that is completely domestic in nature. And I think there's reason for all of us to continue to be concerned that Donald Trump and Republicans have adopted voter suppression as an electoral strategy. They know they can't win a free and fair election in November. They're going to get crushed, wiped out all across America because of their failed policies, and the fact that Democrats are the only ones in this country right now, in terms of a political party, talking about driving down the high cost of living, dealing with the affordability crisis that Donald Trump doesn't think exists and fixing our broken healthcare system. And so, we're going to have to work with Governors and Attorneys General and Secretaries of State all across the country, as well as the legal community, civil rights groups, democracy protection groups like Democracy Forward and others who are doing a tremendous job to make sure that we are ensuring a free and fair election in November so that it's the American people who get to decide who is in the majority in the House and in the Senate, not Donald Trump and his corrupt sycophants.

REV. AL SHARPTON: Now I know we're out of time, but I must ask you this, tomorrow is February 1, the beginning of Black History Month. And under this administration, we've seen in many states and a tone set, in my opinion, by the administration to try and really minimize, if not wipe out, Black history and many aspects of American life, being able to learn about it in schools and other places. How do you view the importance of Black History Month 2026, given the assault in many areas on even teaching or talking about Black history?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Black history is now more important than ever. It's the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, and we're thankful for what it represents, which is a celebration of the African American journey in this country, which cannot be separated from the American journey. It's one and the same. And the movements that Donald Trump is attempting to wipe out, whether that relates to abolition or the movement that brought about Reconstruction or the movement that connected to the civil rights era, which was all about making sure that there was actually liberty and justice for all and equal protection under the law, the progress that has been made, led by African Americans at these moments, of course, has benefited African Americans in of being full and complete participants in the American dream to the best of the country's ability. We're not a perfect country. We're marching toward a more perfect union. But these efforts at progress improve the situation for everyone. So Black history is American history and we're not going to let Donald Trump and the extremists ever erase it.

REV. AL SHARPTON: All right, Democratic House Leader, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn, New York, I might say. Thank you for being with us.

Full interview can be watched here.

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