CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins caught House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) in an outright lie about the ongoing government shutdown, pushing back immediately when he claimed that Republican leaders were not engaging on the issues that might finally get the government reopened.
Collins spoke with Jeffries on Wednesday&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;The Source,&#8221; on the eve of the shutdown&#8217;s 30th day, and she challenged him directly on his claim that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was not willing to even sit down and &#8220;have a conversation&#8221; with him.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins: “You said that Mike Johnson isn’t willing to sit down and have a conversation. Y’all did have a phone conversation, I believe you said earlier today. Who initiated that call?”
Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY): “It was a call from Mike Johnson. It was very brief and… <a href="https://t.co/Shi8jhAYWo">pic.twitter.com/Shi8jhAYWo</a>
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) <a href="https://twitter.com/RedWave_Press/status/1983864038187503695?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;You said that Mike Johnson isn’t willing to sit down and have a conversation. Y’all did have a phone conversation, I believe you said earlier today,&#8221; Collins pointed out. &#8220;Who — who initiated that call? Was that you or was that Speaker Johnson?&#8221;
&#8220;It was a call from Mike Johnson,&#8221; Jeffries admitted. &#8220;It was very brief and it wasn’t a substantive discussion in terms of finding a path forward.&#8221;
Collins pressed again, asking, &#8220;But was he calling to talk about the government shutdown?&#8221;
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&#8220;I mean, you could say that — that was in the ballpark,&#8221; Jeffries conceded her point, but then attempted to cover: &#8220;But it was a private conversation that will remain private. However, nothing meaningful came out of it, again, because Donald Trump has not given Mike Johnson permission to enter into a bipartisan negotiation.&#8221;
Jeffries then reverted to his previous talking point, claiming that Republicans had been on vacation for the last five weeks.
Collins also played a clip of Jeffries from 2013 — in which he claimed that government shutdowns caused unnecessary pain to the American people and demanded the passage of a clean continuing resolution — and then asked Jeffries whether he had changed.
&#8220;The Hakeem Jeffries of today definitively agrees with the Hakeem Jeffries of yesterday,&#8221; Jeffries claimed — despite the fact that Republicans have repeatedly offered Democrats the chance to reopen the government via a clean CR — and then attempted to explain why demanding the exact opposite now was somehow the same.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins: *Plays clip of Hakeem Jeffries from 2013 blasting a government shutdown, declaring it unnecessarily hurts Americans.*
Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY): “The Hakeem Jeffries of today definitely agrees with the Hakeem Jeffries of yesterday.” <a href="https://t.co/gZe5MpRE7u">pic.twitter.com/gZe5MpRE7u</a>
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) <a href="https://twitter.com/RedWave_Press/status/1983867542293852647?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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House Minority Leader Jeffries Holds Capitol Hill Press Conference

CNN Catches Hakeem Jeffries In Straight-Up Lie About Government Shutdown

Government Shutdown

Hakeem Jeffries

Kaitlan Collins

Media

Mike Johnson

Politics

U.S. House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is expected to endorse New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Friday, and become yet another Democratic leader to get behind the socialist&#8217;s campaign, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/24/after-a-lengthy-wait-jeffries-to-endorse-mamdani-00621799">POLITICO</a>.
Two people &#8220;with knowledge of the situation&#8221; told <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/24/after-a-lengthy-wait-jeffries-to-endorse-mamdani-00621799?experience_id=EXYF89KVT5UQ&amp;template_id=OTJIR2CRKUD6&amp;variant_id=OTV7T8G93R30L&amp;is_login_link=true">POLITICO</a> that Jeffries is ready to publicly back Mamdani after the House minority leader faced pressure from leftists for months. The endorsement is expected to come just one day before early voting begins in the NYC mayoral race, as Mamdani maintains a significant polling advantage over former Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, who&#8217;s running as an independent, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
Jeffries told reporters in Washington, D.C., on Friday to &#8220;stay tuned.&#8221;
&#8220;I have not refused to endorse. I have refused to articulate my position, and I will momentarily, at some point, in advance of early voting,&#8221; he added.
Jeffries has already <a href="https://x.com/hakeemjeffries/status/1937889911165645000?s=46&amp;t=Ec2ilbF1_cOpGpISmcRGOw">praised</a> Mamdani for focusing on economic issues. In June, shortly after Mamdani won the Democratic primary, Jeffries <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/06/25/congress/hakeem-jeffries-zohran-mamdani-reaction-00422732">said</a> that the socialist candidate &#8220;clearly out-worked, out-organized and out-communicated the opposition.&#8221; Leftist activist Al Sharpton has reportedly been instrumental in setting up discussions between Jeffries&#8217; and Mamdani&#8217;s teams.
Mamdani boasts the <a href="https://www.zohranfornyc.com/endorsements">endorsements</a> of other Democrats in the state and around the country, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has also strongly backed Mamdani, campaigning with NYC mayoral candidate last month.
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Assuming Jeffries endorses Mamdani on Friday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will become the only key New York Democratic leader who has not yet endorsed the socialist candidate.
Mamdani, who has called for rent freezing, price controls, and city-owned grocery stores, leads Cuomo by double digits, according to the most recent <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/polls/nyc-mayoral-election-polls-2025.html">polls</a>. Some Republicans have called on GOP candidate Curtis Sliwa to drop out of the race to potentially give Cuomo an extra boost. Sliwa, who stands a 16% in the RealClearPolitics average of polling, said that he will stay in the race, arguing that the effort to push him out is promoted by billionaires, such as hedge fund CEO Bill Ackman.
&#8220;The billionaires can conspire to pick their candidate,&#8221; Sliwa <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/curtis-sliwa-vows-zohran-mamdanis-worst-nightmare-democratic-socialist-wins-nyc-mayoral-race">said</a> earlier this week. &#8220;I trust the people. They will make the decision. I will not drop out.&#8221;
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that even if Sliwa were to drop out, Cuomo would &#8220;have a little bit of a chance, but not much.&#8221; Trump called Mamdani a &#8220;communist,&#8221; but he added that he would be willing to talk to Mamdani if he were to become mayor.
The president previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-warns-mamdani-no-federal-cash-for-a-communist-mayor">threatened</a> to cut federal funding for New York City if Mamdani is elected.
“He is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great City,” Trump wrote on Truth Social last month. “Remember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfill all of his FAKE Communist promises. He won’t be getting any of it, so what’s the point of voting for him?”

Hakeem Jeffries/Zohran Mamdani

Top Dem To Endorse Mamdani For NYC Mayor As Party Backs Socialist Platform

Hakeem Jeffries To Endorse Mamdani For NYC Mayor As Prominent Dems Get Behind Socialist Platform

Democrats

Donald Trump

New York City

Zohran Mamdani

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is clearly growing frustrated as President Donald Trump continues to undercut repeated Democrat-driven attempts to pin the ongoing government shutdown on the White House.
Jeffries told reporters at a Monday press conference that he would not support standalone legislation to pay federal workers and military service members — despite the fact that Democrats have spent the shutdown going from microphone to microphone to blame Republicans for the fact that federal employees were not getting paid — and complained that it was just a political stunt.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨WATCH: Jeffries tells <a href="https://twitter.com/AndiNapier?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AndiNapier</a> that he does NOT support legislation that the Senate is expected to vote on this week to pay federal employees and service members calling, it a &#8220;political ploy.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/y0D9eQZhuE">pic.twitter.com/y0D9eQZhuE</a>
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyCaller/status/1980388107922076155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;It appears to be more like a political ploy giving Donald Trump discretion over which employees should be compensated and which employees should not be compensated. All employees should be compensated, and that will happen when we reopen the government,&#8221; Jeffries complained.
The Senate bill in question would ensure that members of the military would not go without their next paychecks — nor would federal workers who have continued to report to work during the shutdown — which would undercut Democrat complaints about the broad impact of the shutdown, and not for the first time.
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Democrats began the shutdown with complaints about young mothers and their children who would soon go hungry because their benefits through the Women, Infants, and Children (W.I.C.) program would run out due to the shutdown — but the Trump administration was able to find untapped funds to bridge that gap.
Democrats then pivoted to blame Trump and Republicans for the fact that a shutdown would stop payments to members of the military — but a short time later, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/get-our-troops-paid-trump-says-he-wont-let-military-suffer-due-to-dem-shutdown">redirected funds</a> from the Pentagon to ensure that service members received their pay on the 15th.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) Holds News Conference

Hakeem Jeffries Is Big Mad Because Trump Cut The Legs Off His Narrative (Again)

A man pardoned by President Donald Trump after taking part in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot was arrested over the weekend for allegedly threatening to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
Christopher Moynihan, 34, was taken into custody on Sunday after he wrote in a text message that he was planning to &#8220;eliminate&#8221; Jeffries at an event in New York City on Monday, according to court documents, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pardoned-capitol-rioter-charged-threatening-hakeem-jeffries-nyc-trump/">reported</a>. Jeffries, who represents New York&#8217;s 8th Congressional District, spoke at the Economic Club of New York on Monday.
Moynihan, who lives in Clinton, New York, is accused of writing in a text message, &#8220;Hakeem Jeffries makes a speech in a few days in NYC I cannot allow this terrorist to live.&#8221;
&#8220;Even if I am hated, he must be eliminated, I will kill him for the future,&#8221; Moynihan allegedly added.
New York State Police <a href="https://troopers.ny.gov/news/clinton-man-arrested-making-terroristic-threats-toward-member-congress">arrested</a> Moynihan after an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force investigation, The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/10/21/us-news/pardoned-capitol-rioter-arrested-for-allegedly-threatening-to-murder-hakeem-jeffries/">reported</a>. He is charged with making a terroristic threat, a felony. Moynihan is set to make his first court appearance on Thursday in Dutchess County, New York. He will remain in jail &#8220;in lieu of $10,000 cash bail, a $30,000 bond, or an $80,000 partially secured bond,&#8221; according to the New York State Police.
Jeffries is in the midst of a fierce battle with Republicans over the government shutdown. Last week, Jeffries <a href="https://democraticleader.house.gov/media/press-releases/leader-jeffries-msnbc-protests-are-going-take-place-today-peaceful-expression">criticized</a> White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt after she said that the Democratic Party is catering to &#8220;Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens, and violent criminals.&#8221; Jeffries responded to Leavitt&#8217;s comments, calling her &#8220;sick&#8221; and &#8220;out of control.&#8221; He then argued that the Trump administration was unleashing &#8220;unprecedented extremism on the American people.&#8221;
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Moynihan was one of the more than 1,500 Capitol riot defendants who received a blanket pardon from President Trump shortly after Trump was sworn into office in January. The New York man was seen in photos walking on the Senate floor on January 6, 2021, after rioters breached the Capitol. Prosecutors alleged that while on the Senate floor, &#8220;Moynihan rifled through a notebook on top of a Senator&#8217;s desk, saying &#8216;There&#8217;s gotta be something in here we can f***ing use against these scumbags.'&#8221; He pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor charges and was sentenced to 21 months in prison in February 2023.
Since Trump pardoned hundreds of J6 defendants, Democrats have condemned the move by pointing to a few instances where people were charged with other alleged crimes in the weeks following their pardons. Earlier this year, a 42-year-old Indiana man who Trump pardoned was shot and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/man-who-received-j6-pardon-shot-and-killed-during-traffic-stop">killed</a> during a traffic stop after he allegedly resisted arrest and raised &#8220;a firearm at police.&#8221; Another man who was convicted for his role in the Capitol riot was arrested weeks after his pardon for allegedly breaking into a home in Virginia.

Capitol Riot

Pardoned J6 Defendant Arrested After Threatening To Kill Democrat Leader

Crime

Death Threats

January 6

Trump Administration

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries could do little but stand in the frame and appear uncomfortable during a Thursday interview on CNBC, as host Joe Kernen broke down the reasons he believed Democrats were fighting a losing battle in the ongoing government shutdown.
Jeffries spoke to Kernen about the shutdown — which has just passed the week mark — and attempted to justify the fact that Democrats were holding out in a blatant effort to undo by temper tantrum what Republicans had done through the legislative process.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 BREAKING: Hakeem Jeffries was just EMBARRASSED for holding the government hostage&#8230;holy smokes. This was bad.
CNBC: &#8220;There was an ELECTION. Republicans were able to pass the Big Beautiful Bill. To then say, &#8216;We don&#8217;t like that, so we&#8217;re gonna shut down the government until… <a href="https://t.co/wlcxytaZC6">pic.twitter.com/wlcxytaZC6</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1976273823512010945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;There was an election, and the Republicans were put in a position where they were able to pass the Big Beautiful Bill, or as you call it the ‘Big Ugly Bill.’ To then say, &#8216;We don’t like any of that, so we’re going to shut down the government until you take back all the things that you duly passed through legislation &#8230;'&#8221; Kernen began, arguing that if the shoe were on the other foot, Democrats would be angry — and rightfully so.
&#8220;If Republicans had tried to do that to the Inflation Reduction Act or the — any of the acts that Biden and that administration have passed — if they said we’re going to shut down the government because we don’t like any of those things you did, ‘we’re not going to pay our military, we are going to not allow the government to reopen until you do what we want’ – after an election where the American people put Democrats in power – you’d be going crazy!&#8221; he said.
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&#8220;It&#8217;s not how it works! It&#8217;s bad, it&#8217;s bad precedent!&#8221; Kernen continued, noting that the Continuing Resolution — which would at least temporarily reopen the government — had already passed the House, but needed a handful of Senate votes.
Jeffries attempted to pivot, saying, &#8220;What is bad precedent is the Republican refusal to engage in bipartisan negotiations! &#8230; They&#8217;ve made the decision to shut the government down, they could open it now!&#8221;
&#8220;How could they do that?!&#8221; Kernen asked.
&#8220;I just explained it! The reality is they want to keep the government closed. Cruelty, from the very beginning of this administration, has been the point. The responsible thing to do is to sit down and negotiate a bipartisan path forward to address a very real health care crisis that&#8217;s upon us right now!&#8221; Jeffries said, visibly frustrated. He left out the fact that the only negotiations Democrats have said they&#8217;d agree to would necessarily include — as Kernen said — the undoing of provisions that Republicans passed as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill.

CNBC’s Joe Kernen Blisters Hakeem Jeffries Over Democrat-Fueled Shutdown

CNBC's Joe Kernen Blisters Hakeem Jeffries Over Democrat-Fueled Shutdown

Congress

The Trump administration is freezing $2.1 billion in funding for Chicago infrastructure projects over accusations of “race-based contracting” as the government shutdown continues. 
Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought announced the move Friday morning, saying that the freeze would impact construction to modernize the city’s public transit system. It comes just two days after the Department of Transportation <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-freezes-18-billion-for-nyc-infrastructure-over-unconstitutional-dei-principles?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Freezes+%2418+Billion+For+NYC+Infrastructure+Over+%E2%80%98Unconstitutional+DEI+Principles%E2%80%99">froze</a> $18 billion for New York City infrastructure projects over “unconstitutional” diversity, equity, and inclusion “principles.”
“$2.1 billion in Chicago infrastructure projects — specifically the Red Line Extension and the Red and Purple Modernization Project — have been put on hold to ensure funding is not flowing via race-based contracting,” Vought wrote on X. 
Shortly after Vought’s announcement, the Department of Transportation <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/us-department-transportation-statement-review-chicagos-discriminatory">confirmed</a> the freeze and suggested that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) were to blame for leading the Democrats’ resistance to a temporary government funding bill. 
The department said that it was “committed to conducting these reviews as fast as possible so reimbursements can move forward. Unfortunately, Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries’ decision to shut down the government has negatively affected the Department’s staffing resources for carrying out this important analysis.”
“We urge Democrats in Congress to stop holding the federal government’s budget hostage so USDOT can get back to the important work of the American people,” the department added. 
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It sent letters on Friday to the Chicago Transit Authority, stating that it had initiated an administrative review of two ongoing projects to modernize the city’s rail system, and added that it was concerned about preferential treatment in construction contracting based on race. 
“Together, these critical reviews are intended to ensure no additional federal dollars go towards discriminatory, illegal, and wasteful contracting practices,” the department said. “The American people don’t care what race or gender construction workers, pipefitters, or electricians are. They just want these massive projects finally built quickly and efficiently.”
President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-meeting-set-to-axe-democrat-agencies?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump%3A+Meeting+Set+To+Axe+‘Democrat+Agencies’">has urged</a> Republicans to take advantage of the shutdown to cut “Democrat Agencies” and eliminate wasteful spending. 
“I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity. They are not stupid people, so maybe this is their way of wanting to, quietly and quickly, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday. 
The White House has tasked Vought with reviewing the federal bureaucracy amid the shutdown and identifying areas for spending cuts.

MixCollage-03-Oct-2025-10-22-AM-1097

Blue City Blues: Another Democrat-Run Stronghold Gets Infrastructure Funding Frozen

Blue City Blues: Another Democrat-Run Stronghold Gets Infrastructure Funding Frozen Amid Shutdown

Chicago

Chuck Schumer

Department of Transportation

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Economy

Illinois

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Russ Vought

Democrats have repeatedly insisted that they did not shut the government down over a demand for healthcare for illegal aliens, and several of them have expressed their displeasure at the media outlets willing to call them out on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/yes-democrats-want-to-give-illegals-free-healthcare-here-are-the-facts">that lie</a>.
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) got testy with &#8220;CBS Mornings&#8221; host Tony Dokoupil on Thursday, claiming that it wasn&#8217;t &#8220;strictly true&#8221; when he challenged her directly on the issue.
&#8220;So, Senator, you know, Republicans say what you’re really fighting for is taxpayer dollars for, as they put it, illegal aliens. I know that’s not strictly true but there is a provision –&#8221; Dokoupil began.
&#8220;Oh, excuse me, not strictly true,&#8221; Warren&#8217;s protest was immediate.
&#8220;It’s not directly true, but –&#8221; Dokoupil tried again.
&#8220;It is a flat-out lie. It is a flat-out lie,&#8221; Warren insisted. &#8220;There is nothing in Medicaid, nothing in Medicare, that permits one undocumented immigrant to get one dollar of assistance. None.&#8221;
&#8220;Sorry, in the Democratic counteroffer the proposal for funding, there is a restoration of Medicaid benefits for certain noncitizens that had been taken away in the &#8216;Big, Beautiful Bill,&#8217; as Republicans put it,&#8221; Dokoupil pushed back.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH: Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren explodes when ‘CBS Mornings’ co-host Tony Dokoupil points out Democrats do, in fact, want to provide health care to “noncitizens…on the taxpayer dime.”
Warren snapped back by declaring “it’s not strictly true” and “a flat-out lie”….… <a href="https://t.co/fOSqgcSdUI">pic.twitter.com/fOSqgcSdUI</a>
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1973743570755506319?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CNN, a very similar scene played out between anchor Jake Tapper and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
&#8220;Here&#8217;s a provision &#8230; it shows you want to give illegal aliens healthcare,&#8221; Tapper noted.
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&#8220;It&#8217;s a lie!&#8221; Jeffries protested.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a lie — but, what you support does bring back funding for emergency Medicaid to hospitals, which pays for undocumented immigrants &#8230; and a provision for people seeking asylum and &#8216;temporary protected status,&#8217; noncitizens &#8230; why even include that?&#8221; Tapper asked.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 HOLY CRAP! Hakeem Jeffries REGRETS going on CNN, Jake Tapper just embarrassed him. <a href="https://t.co/KmdS9gMxJN">pic.twitter.com/KmdS9gMxJN</a>
TAPPER: Here&#8217;s a provision&#8230;it shows you want to give illegal aliens healthcare&#8230;
JEFFRIES: It&#8217;s a lie!
TAPPER: It&#8217;s a lie &#8211; BUT, what you support DOES bring back…
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1973515804919345641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) attempted to claim that she&#8217;d never heard anyone in her party calling for providing healthcare for illegals — and Fox News host Lawrence Jones responded with video evidence of members of her party doing exactly that.
&#8220;I haven&#8217;t heard anybody in my party saying illegal immigrants should get access to the health insurance marketplace,&#8221; she said.
Jones showed a clip of Democrats on the 2020 debate stage, and then replied, &#8220;That&#8217;s literally every member of your party from moderate to more progressive that have said that in the past.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Democrat Sen. Jeanne Shaheen: I haven&#8217;t heard anybody in my party saying illegals should get taxpayer-funded health care!
*ROLLS THE TAPE*
Fox: &#8220;That&#8217;s literally every member of your party from moderate to more progressive&#8230;&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/ziu6pMhLKO">pic.twitter.com/ziu6pMhLKO</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1973728411085578487?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Republicans shared the receipts in a post to X, highlighting the relevant portion of the resolution: &#8220;It’s right there on paper. Democrats are fighting for healthcare for illegal aliens, NOT the American people.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It’s right there on paper.
Democrats are fighting for healthcare for illegal aliens, NOT the American people. <a href="https://t.co/HIRQyu9lZK">https://t.co/HIRQyu9lZK</a> <a href="https://t.co/qaj4KGzBIj">pic.twitter.com/qaj4KGzBIj</a>
— GOP (@GOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOP/status/1973800680055009462?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And it&#8217;s not a new position, either. Several people posted videos and still photos from one of the 2020 Democratic primary debates, when every Democrat on the stage raised a hand to confirm that all of their healthcare plans would include coverage for &#8220;undocumented immigrants.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The question was:
Raise your hand if your healthcare plan covers illegal immigrants. <a href="https://t.co/xS4WYIZCo5">pic.twitter.com/xS4WYIZCo5</a>
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/1973540060529303939?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Dems Peeved That Media Sees Through Their ‘No Healthcare For Illegals’ Lie

Dems Peeved That Media Sees Through Their 'No Health Care For Illegals' Lie

Elizabeth Warren

illegal alien

Illegal Immigration

Jake Tapper

CNN anchors John Berman and Kaitlan Collins appeared to have trouble wrapping their brains around the Trump administration&#8217;s willingness to defend — and even embrace — a meme they described as &#8220;racist&#8221; without any apparent concern about the repercussions for doing so.
Berman raised the topic during a Wednesday conversation with Collins, noting that the meme in question — an AI-doctored video that featured House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) with a fake mustache and a sombrero — had been on full display at the White House briefing room.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins can’t believe the Trump admin is doubling down with memes and mariachi music in the WH briefing room:
“They simply don’t care about the criticism.&#8221;
Correct — and that&#8217;s exactly what’s driving the propaganda press insane. They&#8217;re powerless. <a href="https://t.co/hduEvgFT3q">pic.twitter.com/hduEvgFT3q</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1973547503942508844?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;So we played sound from Vice President Vance not just defending that AI racist video of Minority Leader Jeffries wearing a sombrero, but also, like celebrating that video, and it was playing on a loop in the briefing room today,&#8221; Berman said, turning to Collins: &#8220;What are you hearing from the inside about that?&#8221;
Collins set the scene for Berman, saying that in addition to the video being played on a loop, the mariachi music from the video had been piped through the room&#8217;s sound system so that everyone could hear it.
&#8220;It just kind of gives you a window, John, into how they&#8217;re dealing with this,&#8221; Collins continued. &#8220;And how they believe they have the upper hand when it comes to the messaging here and also kind of how things have changed from the first time Donald Trump was in office.&#8221;
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&#8220;I mean, there was a shutdown then, I remember all 35 days of it, as the president said at the beginning he&#8217;d be &#8216;proud to shut the government down,&#8217; and that it ended with him obviously not getting the money for his border wall,&#8221; she added. &#8220;This time, you know, there&#8217;s a moment here, they&#8217;re being heavily criticized over this — over these posts by the president — by Democrats, and instead of backing off or apologizing for it, they&#8217;re leaning into it. They&#8217;re playing the music over loudspeakers and on repeat inside the briefing room because they simply don&#8217;t care about that criticism.&#8221;
Vice President JD Vance, when asked about the memes, gave his word that the sombrero memes would stop if and when Jeffries helped put an end to the government shutdown, which was triggered on Tuesday when Democrats refused to vote for a stopgap funding measure unless they got certain concessions.

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CNN Is Panicking About White House Mariachi Memes

Memes

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) drew an audience of dozens to his recent livestream event, which featured a handful of Democrats complaining about — and blaming Republicans for — the government shutdown triggered by Democrat demands.
Jeffries named the event “Stop the Republican Shutdown,” went live prior to the shutdown, and stayed online after it took effect. As people checked in on him throughout the livestream, several noticed that the number of people streaming struggled to approach 200 — well below even the numbers late-night comedian <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jimmy-kimmels-ratings-spike-crashes-back-down-to-his-usual-terrible-numbers">Jimmy Kimmel</a> has generated since returning from suspension over his comments about assassinated conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
“Currently 152 people watching Hakeem Jeffries ’24 hour shutdown livestream’ on YouTube,” GOP communications strategist Matt Whitlock commented, sharing a screenshot that showed the number of live viewers (152) as Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) spoke.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Currently 152 people watching Hakeem Jeffries “24 hour shutdown livestream” on YouTube. <a href="https://t.co/dmlzBUJxAf">pic.twitter.com/dmlzBUJxAf</a>
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattdizwhitlock/status/1973232723700621708?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Another screenshot shared by independent reporter Ken Klippenstein showed A.B. Burns-Tucker speaking with Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), who was sporting a “no kings” cap in an apparent protest of President Donald Trump. The viewer count sat at 156.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
About 20 minutes into shutdown and Hakeem Jeffries’ livestream is down to 93 viewers <a href="https://t.co/MssThRSsJb">pic.twitter.com/MssThRSsJb</a>
— Ken Klippenstein (NSPM-7 Compliant) (@kenklippenstein) <a href="https://twitter.com/kenklippenstein/status/1973241870718578955?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A short time later, the viewer count dropped to fewer than 100.
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A screenshot shared by the Republican Party showed viewership of the stream dropping to just 66 in the 10 a.m. hour.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Congrats to <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJeffries?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJeffries</a> for a full 66 viewers in the 10 am hour on his 24-hour “shutdown livestream” <a href="https://t.co/oeW34LeRJu">pic.twitter.com/oeW34LeRJu</a>
— GOP (@GOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOP/status/1973453634982559787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Even <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/10/01/democrats-shutdown-livestream-00591178">Politico</a> jabbed at the debacle, with reporter Adam Wren noting that he’d watched much of the stream “so you didn&#8217;t have to,” and then laying out a series of missteps made by Democrats trying to win the messaging war over the shutdown.
“In launching the livestream, which featured the feel of a throwback telethon with none of the charisma or surprise, Jeffries and his allies seemed to tacitly acknowledge that they needed to be fighting, and sounding and looking as if they were. (‘Y’all, I ain’t scared,’ Jeffries said at one point. ‘I’m from Brooklyn.&#8217;) But few Dems seemed willing to fight on camera,” he wrote.
Wren noted that while Jeffries himself appeared — as did Swalwell and a few others — most of the party’s more prominent voices had not. In addition to the glaring absence of progressives like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), there was a very noticeable chunk of the broadcast filled with rerun content rather than live conversation. According to Wren, despite an internal email <a href="https://x.com/reesejgorman/status/1973076184134009181">begging Democrats</a> to rally and fill the empty time slots, no one was available between 2:30 and 5:30 a.m.
A spokesperson for Jeffries claimed in a statement that the total viewership for the event was significantly higher, stating that there had been approximately 60,000 viewers across several streams and that “clips from the livestream are continuing to also generate hundreds of thousands of views and we still have more coming.”

Hakeem Jeffries Shutdown Livestream Draws Smaller Audience Than Jimmy Kimmel

Eric Swalwell

Vice President JD Vance gave his word on Wednesday that memes mocking House and Senate Minority Leaders Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) would stop if Jeffries would help end the ongoing government shutdown.
Vance stepped into the White House briefing room to address the press corps and offered his &#8220;solemn promise&#8221; to put an end to the memes, provided Jeffries helped steer his party toward a compromise.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 LMFAO! JD Vance just responded to Hakeem Jeffries being offended by Trump&#8217;s memes
&#8220;I will tell Hakeem Jeffries right now, I make a solemn promise to you, that if you help us reopen the government, the sombrero memes WILL stop!&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ve talked to the President about that.&#8221; 🤣 <a href="https://t.co/DkJy5t5ooe">pic.twitter.com/DkJy5t5ooe</a>
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1973443709439189176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Vance explained that the memes — which showed Jeffries with a fake mustache and sombrero and Schumer complaining about the Democratic Party — were made in an effort to &#8220;poke fun at the absurdity&#8221; of some of the demands being made by Democrats with regard to any agreement to fund the government going forward.
&#8220;I will tell Hakeem Jeffries right now, I make a solemn promise to you, that if you help us reopen the government, the sombrero memes will stop!&#8221; Vance added, prompting laughter around the briefing room. &#8220;And I&#8217;ve talked to the President of the United States about that.&#8221;
Vance went on to say that, in all seriousness, if there were any Senate Democrats who wanted to negotiate a deal to reopen the government, he would be glad to take part.
The memes began with one video posted to President Trump&#8217;s account on X and Truth Social:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/JzQYLShOCt">pic.twitter.com/JzQYLShOCt</a>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1972822596397003159?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
When Jeffries responded by complaining about the &#8220;racist&#8221; nature of the meme. &#8220;The next time you have something to say about me, don’t cop out through a racist and fake AI video! When I’m back in the Oval Office, say it to my face!&#8221; he demanded.
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Hakeem Jeffries is very upset about Trump’s video depicting him with a mustache and a sombrero: “The next time you have something to say about me, don’t cop out through a racist and fake AI video! When I’m back in the Oval Office, say it to my face!”
😂<a href="https://t.co/aYwRrWtM9z">pic.twitter.com/aYwRrWtM9z</a>
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) <a href="https://twitter.com/theblaze/status/1973043373956296796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Jeffries continued to complain about the meme during an appearance on MSNBC with host Lawrence O&#8217;Donnell, and Trump responded with a meme made from a clip of that interview.
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<a href="https://t.co/2yyuRkm9r8">pic.twitter.com/2yyuRkm9r8</a>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1973218518893207825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senate Republicans Advance Trump Tax Bill On Crucial Test Vote

‘A Solemn Promise’: Vance Swears Sombrero Memes Will Stop If Hakeem Jeffries Helps End Shutdown

'A Solemn Promise': Vance Swears Sombrero Memes Will Stop If Hakeem Jeffries Helps End Shutdown

JD Vance

With just hours to go before the looming government shutdown is expected to kick in, a poll by The New York Times suggests that most voters would actually prefer to see Democrats in Congress get to work and find a way to avoid it.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted a screenshot of a single poll question asking 1,075 voters which of the following statements “came closest” to an accurate representation of their opinion on the matter.
“New York Times Poll: 65% of Americans say, ‘the Democrats should not shut down the government, even if their demands are not met,’” Leavitt’s caption read.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
New York Times Poll:
65% of Americans say, “the Democrats should not shut down the government, even if their demands are not met.” <a href="https://t.co/x3CFjzqgm6">pic.twitter.com/x3CFjzqgm6</a>
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1973024518424743946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The first choice read, “The Democrats should shut down the government if their demands are not met” — and just over one-fourth (27%) of respondents selected that answer. The second, which was chosen by 65% of respondents, read, “The Democrats should not shut down the government, even if their demands are not met.” Just under one-tenth (7%) of respondents did not choose one of the two options.
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Trump’s team shared the same data in graphic form:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 POLL: 65% of Americans say Democrats SHOULD NOT shut down the government <a href="https://t.co/9schOzvYfV">pic.twitter.com/9schOzvYfV</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1973027165739643068?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
House Democrats are all-in on the imminent shutdown, and even shared a group photo celebrating their refusal to come to the table. “House Democrats are in DC and ready to cancel the cuts, lower the costs, save health care,” the caption claimed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
House Democrats are in DC and ready to cancel the cuts, lower the costs, save health care. <a href="https://t.co/vnNRqGD3NS">pic.twitter.com/vnNRqGD3NS</a>
— House Democrats (@HouseDemocrats) <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseDemocrats/status/1972828851442204762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who proved to be the weak link in the last shutdown standoff, has made it clear that he does not intend to budge this time. Indeed, after he argued that it was more important to make sure that the government was funded and people were paid — a position that the NYT poll suggests voters share — Schumer took a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/its-already-happening-abcs-the-view-is-in-absolute-panic-mode-over-schumer-caving-on-cr">wave of backlash</a> from within his own party for giving Republicans a win. That experience, coupled with an increasingly likely primary from someone further to the left — possibly from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) — has apparently galvanized Schumer to stand his ground in the current fight.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said as much on Tuesday, arguing that Schumer didn’t care if he was blamed for the shutdown because the optics were better for him if he was.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderJohnThune?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LeaderJohnThune</a>: &#8220;Politically speaking, Chuck Schumer needs a Schumer Shutdown&#8230; This is a made-up problem by the Democrats, who desperately need to satisfy a political base that is hostile to Donald Trump&#8230; This doesn&#8217;t have anything to do with health care.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/BwNdzwqJtn">pic.twitter.com/BwNdzwqJtn</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1973012686796623956?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“I&#8217;m going to tell you, just in the Senate at least, politically speaking, Chuck Schumer needs a Schumer Shutdown,” Thune said. “And I think that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re probably careening toward. But it&#8217;s up to the Democrats. This bill — this 24 pages is sitting at the desk in the Senate right now. It could be picked up and passed, the government stays open, and we complete our appropriations work.”
“They have the same leverage on November the 21st that they have right now,” Thune said of the Democrats, adding, “&#8230; This is a made-up problem by the Democrats, who desperately need to satisfy a political base that is hostile to Donald Trump. That&#8217;s what this is about &#8230; This doesn&#8217;t have anything to do with health care.”

US-POLITICS-TRUMP-CONGRESS

As Dems Prepare To Force A Government Shutdown, Poll Suggests The People Aren’t Falling In Line

As Dems Prepare To Force A Government Shutdown, Poll Suggests The People Aren't Falling In Line

Karoline Leavitt

New York Times

Poll

The New York Times

WASHINGTON—Vice President JD Vance emerged from a White House meeting with congressional leadership with a grim message.
&#8220;I think we&#8217;re heading to a shutdown, because the Democrats won&#8217;t do the right thing,&#8221; Vance said. &#8220;I hope they change their mind, but we&#8217;re going to see.&#8221;
President Donald Trump and Vance met at the White House Monday afternoon with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). Their goal — to pass a continuing resolution that will keep the government open before October 1 — seems to remain out of grasp.
The seven-week extension will allow time for the appropriations process to take place and will fund the government until November 21. The House of Representatives passed the bill on Sept. 19 by a <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5371/all-actions?overview=closed&amp;q=%7B%22roll-call-vote%22%3A%22all%22%7D">vote</a> of 217-212. The Senate, however, failed to adopt the continuing resolution by a <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00528.htm">vote</a> of 44-48. The Senate will need 60 votes in order to pass the resolution.
The leaders spoke with reporters outside the White House following the meeting, but did not indicate any sign of a deal as Republican leaders urged Senate Democrats to pass the continuing resolution which was previously passed by the House.
“We have disagreements about tax policy, but you don’t shut the government down. We have disagreements about healthcare policy, but you don’t shut the government down,&#8221; Vance said. &#8220;You don’t say the fact that you disagree about a particular tax provision is an excuse for shutting down the people’s government and all the essential services that come along with it.&#8221;
Vance said he believes the American people are &#8220;going to suffer because these guys won&#8217;t do the right thing.&#8221;
Schumer said Democrats presented proposals to the president during the meeting and said they shared with him “some of the consequences of what’s happening in health care,” such as “the closing of rural hospitals, the fact that so many clinics are closing.&#8221;
“If he will accept some of the things we asked, which we think the American people are for, on healthcare and on recessions, he can avoid a shutdown, but there are still large differences between us,&#8221; Schumer said.
Schumer cited “very large differences” between the parties and said the Republican bill has “not one iota of Democratic input.”
He said it is “up to the Republicans if they want to shut down or not.”
Republicans have <a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/news/press-releases/house-passes-hr-5371-continuing-appropriations-and-extensions-act-2026">reportedly</a> called the continuing resolution &#8220;clean and straightforward.&#8221;
Johnson said Democrats &#8220;refuse to acknowledge the simple facts,&#8221; and called the continuing resolution a &#8220;commonsense thing to do — the right thing to do.&#8221;
The Speaker said Democrats previously issued a counterproposal that included $1.5 trillion in new spending &#8220;that is unrelated to the ongoing appropriations process.&#8221;
&#8220;If the Democrats make the decision to shut the government down, the consequences are on them and I think it&#8217;s absolutely tragic,&#8221; Johnson said.
During the press conference, Thune held up a copy of the continuing resolution, and said it is sitting at the Senate desk, and can be passed Monday night or Tuesday, if Democrats acquiesce.
&#8220;Right now, they are the only thing standing between the American people and the government shutting down,&#8221; Thune said.
Thune said that similar resolutions were passed 13 times when Democrats had the majority.
&#8220;To me, this is purely a hostage-taking exercise on part of the Democrats,&#8221; Thune said. &#8220;We&#8217;re willing to sit down and work with them on some of the issues they want to talk about, whether it&#8217;s the extension of premium tax credits, with reforms, we&#8217;re happy to have that conversation. But as of right now, this is a hijacking of the American people — and it&#8217;s the American people that are going to pay the price.&#8221;
On Sept. 20, Jeffries and Schumer wrote a letter to the president, shared <a href="https://x.com/RepJeffries/status/1969426282552119312">on X</a>, in which they insisted that Democrats will “not support a dirty spending bill that continues the Republican assault on healthcare.”
Jeffries claimed the bill includes “devastating Medicaid and Medicare cuts; skyrocketing premiums, co-pays, and deductibles; the refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits,” and more.
The government is set to shut down Wednesday at 12:01 a.m. if Congress does not approve a continuing resolution.

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