Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) mentioned Thursday that Republicans have “a numbers problem” as they race to go President Trump’s agenda — one which contributed to the plight surrounding Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.).
Stefanik, a detailed Trump ally, was in line to guide the U.S. on the United Nations. However in a shocking reversal on Thursday, the president knowledgeable Capitol Hill Republicans that he intends to withdraw the nomination. Given the slender margins within the Home, Trump defined, her vote can be important to passing his bold home wishlist via the decrease chamber.
Jeffries mentioned the true motive Republicans are involved concerning the vote is extra menacing: The laws contains cuts to well being care and different federal profit packages which can be unpopular even in some Republican districts, he argued, and GOP leaders don’t need to threat a situation the place Stefanik’s open seat flips to the Democrats if she leaves for the U.N.
“Donald Trump won the Elise Stefanik district by 21 points in November 2024. He withdrew her nomination to be U.N. Ambassador because the extremists are afraid they will lose the special election to replace her,” Jeffries mentioned in a press release.
“The Republican agenda is extremely unpopular, they are crashing the economy in real time and House Republicans are running scared. What happened to their so-called mandate?”
Thursday’s information surrounding Stefanik marked a serious flip for a rising Republican star who had come to Capitol Hill as a deal-cutting centrist, morphed right into a stalwart supporter of Trump and the MAGA agenda, and noticed that loyalty rewarded with a nomination to change into America’s ambassador to the U.N., which arrived on the primary day Trump was in workplace.
On social media, Trump defined that Stefanik’s presence is required in Congress to make sure that his home agenda — together with tax cuts, more durable immigration legal guidelines and expanded power manufacturing — reaches his desk.
“I have asked Elise, as one of my biggest Allies, to remain in Congress to help me deliver Historic Tax Cuts, GREAT Jobs, Record Economic Growth, a Secure Border, Energy Dominance, Peace Through Strength, and much more, so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” Trump wrote on the Fact Social platform that he owns.
“With a very tight Majority, I don’t want to take a chance on anyone else running for Elise’s seat. The people love Elise and, with her, we have nothing to worry about come Election Day. There are others that can do a good job at the United Nations,” he added.
Jeffries mentioned it’s an indication that Republicans harbor deeper anxieties about their political prospects — not solely in passing Trump’s legislative priorities — but in addition in retaining seats in upcoming particular elections the place Republicans have resigned since November.
Two races in Florida have come underneath specific scrutiny in current weeks. Trump had gained each districts by big margins final 12 months, however the Democratic candidates have raised giant struggle chests and seem on observe to shut that hole significantly. The particular election is Tuesday.
Jeffries, who has contributed to the Democrats in each races, has stopped wanting predicting his get together will decide up the seats. However the truth that Democrats are even aggressive within the coronary heart of Trump nation, he mentioned, has given get together leaders motive to be optimistic about flipping management of the chamber in subsequent 12 months’s midterm elections.
“Why are Republicans panicking in deep red districts? It’s because their agenda is unpopular. They are completely and totally out of control. There’s been no focus on driving down the high cost of living. And instead, this budget that they want to jam down the throats of the American people in order to provide tax cuts to their billionaire puppet-master donors like Elon Musk, is also unpopular,” Jeffries informed reporters within the Capitol shortly earlier than the Stefanik rescission was official.
“So they do have a numbers problem that they’re going to have to try to resolve,” he added. “But that’s for Republicans to work out.”
