Remember When Democrats Ignored 50+ ICE Deaths Under Obama? Yeah, Neither Does Hakeem Jeffries [WATCH]

Comments by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries describing the Department of Homeland Security as a “killing machine” drew sharp criticism from Fox Business host Stuart Varney and Rep. Byron Donalds, who said the rhetoric escalates tensions and serves partisan aims rather than public safety.

In a video clip circulated this week, Jeffries said, “We have a DHS killing machine. The American people have seen it.”

Varney responded on-air by warning that the language risks inflaming an already volatile environment.

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“I think that’s out of bounds. Describing DHS as a killing machine does not lower the temperature. It inflames the situation,” Varney said.

Donalds echoed the criticism, arguing that Jeffries’ comments were designed to provoke protests and heighten political pressure rather than address policy.

“You’re absolutely right. Hakeem Jeffries is disgusting for what he just said. He’s doing this for political purposes, and let’s be clear, because the Democrats have no policy that’s going to improve the lives of the American people,” Donalds said.

Donalds accused Democratic leadership of seeking confrontation and viral moments instead of de-escalation, pointing specifically to recent unrest in Minneapolis.

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“So now they got to make stuff up and do this two things of point number one, it is clear that Democrat leadership are not only antagonizing Americans. They want this, these agitated protests in Minneapolis. That’s what they want. They want these videos all over social media, they don’t want to take the temperature down. They want to ratchet the temperature up,” he said.

He also contrasted the current outcry with what he described as silence during prior administrations, noting deaths that occurred while immigration enforcement was conducted under similar rules.

“If you want to talk about people in ICE custody under Barack Obama’s presidency, over 50 people were died in ICE custody, and I didn’t hear Hakeem Jeffries or any Democrat or any starlet in Hollywood, or anybody on CBS or NBC dropping tears talking about those people, they did not and Barack Obama, quite frankly, was using a lot of the same protocols that President Trump is using today,” Donalds said.

Donalds concluded by calling Jeffries’ remarks politically motivated and predicting voters would reject them.

“So this is all astroturf political BS by the Democrat minority leader who wants to be a speaker, but I think the American people will keep him in his current job, and he will be Minority Leader next year,” he said.

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