There’s No Good Reason Why Hakeem Jeffries Should Work With Jared Kushner

Democrats and critics of the Trump administration have criticized House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries as reports came out Sunday that he met with President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to discuss potential collaboration on issues such as housing, immigration, and affordability. 

As Casey Michel wrote for Mother Jones earlier this summer, Kushner has used his ties to the White House to make business deals with autocrats—including the Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar—and work on foreign affairs as a “special peace envoy” in conflicts in Iran, Gaza, and Ukraine. That’s despite claiming that he would not play a role in Trump’s second administration.  

The New York Times first reported that the meeting took place in recent weeks. Rep. Jeffries (D-N.Y.) did not acknowledge the meeting in a statement to the Times, but suggested that Democrats would have to work with Republicans to get any policies through the White House. With the midterms coming up in November, there is a significant possibility that Democrats take control of the House, and Jeffries would be first in line to become Speaker. 

But Democrats thinking of compromise now—especially when congressional Republicans, the Supreme Court, and the Trump administration have largely done the opposite—makes little sense.

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