Did Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries Just Call For Violence ‘In the Streets’ Against Trump? [WATCH]

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is facing backlash from Republicans after declaring that Democrats would fight President Donald Trump’s agenda “in the streets.”

During a press conference in Brooklyn on Friday, Jeffries criticized Trump’s recent federal funding freeze and other Republican policies, vowing to oppose them through various means.

“Right now, we’re going to keep focus on the need to look out for everyday New Yorkers and everyday Americans who are under assault by an extreme MAGA Republican agenda that is trying to cut taxes for billionaires, donors, and wealthy corporations and then stick New Yorkers and working-class Americans across the country with the bill,” Jeffries stated.

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“That’s not acceptable. We are going to fight it legislatively. We are going to fight it in the courts. We’re going to fight it in the streets.”

WATCH: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries calls for violence as he says people must “fight” President Trump’s agenda “in the streets.” pic.twitter.com/ZEEkhtIGbZ

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 31, 2025

His statement prompted immediate criticism from Republican lawmakers, who accused him of using inflammatory rhetoric amid an already polarized political climate.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., called on Jeffries to retract his remarks, arguing that his words could further divide the country.

“House Minority Leader [Jeffries] should promptly apologize for his use of inflammatory and extreme rhetoric,” Emmer wrote on X.

“President Trump and the Republicans are focused on uniting the country; Jeffries needs to stop trying to divide it.”

House Minority Leader @hakeemjeffries should promptly apologize for his use of inflammatory and extreme rhetoric.

President Trump and the Republicans are focused on uniting the country; Jeffries needs to stop trying to divide it. https://t.co/lcYFL1apRY

— Tom Emmer (@tomemmer) January 31, 2025

A senior White House official echoed these sentiments, telling Fox News, “Hakeem Jeffries must apologize for this disgraceful call to violence.”

In response to the backlash, Jeffries’ spokesperson, Christie Stephenson, dismissed the criticisms and defended his remarks.

“The notion that Leader Jeffries supports violence is laughable. Republicans are the party that pardons violent felons who assault police officers. Democrats are the party of John Lewis and the right to petition the government peacefully,” Stephenson told Fox News Digital.

She also later posted on X, framing Jeffries’ comments as advocating for “nonviolent protest.”

Jeffries’ remarks came as he took aim at Trump’s handling of federal spending and his response to the recent aircraft collision in Washington, D.C.

He credited Democrats with pushing back against Trump’s executive orders that led to the OMB’s decision to pause certain federal spending.

“As was demonstrated this week, House Democrats, Senate Democrats, Democratic governors, and everyday Americans all across the country rose up in defiance as it relates to the illegal, unlawful, and extreme federal funding freeze that is part of the Republican rip-off agenda,” Jeffries said.

“We fought it, we stopped it, and we will never surrender.”

Earlier this week, Trump’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) ordered a temporary freeze on most federal funding while agencies conducted a review of taxpayer spending.

The White House later clarified that the freeze primarily applied to funding supporting progressive initiatives that Trump had blocked through executive orders.

However, a federal judge intervened, issuing a ruling that effectively blocked the order.

Just hours later, the OMB rescinded the memo in response to the legal challenge.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that while the OMB memo was rescinded, Trump’s executive orders restricting funding for certain programs remain in effect.

Despite the administration’s attempts to enforce spending restrictions, the legal battle over federal grant funding is expected to continue, with further challenges likely as Trump works to realign federal spending with his policy agenda.

Jeffries’ controversial statement about fighting Trump’s policies “in the streets” has added another layer of political tension, as Republicans argue that his rhetoric is dangerous and divisive.

Whether Jeffries will walk back his comments remains unclear, but the fight over federal spending and executive authority is far from over.

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