By House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries addressed reports of tensions within the Democratic Party on Sunday, downplaying the notion that Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi has been undermining his leadership. The comments followed Pelosi’s pointed critiques in the aftermath of a challenging election cycle for Democrats and rumors that many in the party have gotten sick of the 84-year-old’s role in the Democratic caucus in the House of Representatives.
During an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, Jeffries responded to a report citing two House Democrats who accused Pelosi of overstepping with her public remarks about the party’s shortcomings in the November 5 election. In that election, Republicans captured control of the presidency, the House, and the Senate. One unnamed lawmaker suggested Pelosi should “take a seat,” while another viewed her comments as disrespectful to Jeffries.
Host Kristen Welker asked Jeffries if he agreed with these assessments.
“I think Speaker Emerita Pelosi has been incredibly respectful of the entire leadership team,” Jeffries said. “It’s an honor to stand on the shoulders of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, an incredibly consequential public servant in the history of America.”
When Welker pressed further, asking whether Pelosi’s critiques were undermining his leadership, Jeffries provided a brief but firm response: “No.” His concise answer prompted laughter from Welker, who noted its decisiveness.
Jeffries also praised the current president, who has come under fire from Democrats following Trump’s overwhelming victory on Election Day. “I think that President Biden will go down in history as one of the most consequential presidents of all time and I was thankful for all the work we were able to do together. He did make the decision — it was a selfless decision — to pass the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris and she ran with it and did the best job she could under incredibly challenging circumstances and a little over 100 days,” he said. “She came close, but we fell short.”
Pelosi has not held back in her critique of Democratic strategy post-election, wrote The Washington Examiner. The former Speaker notably suggested that President Joe Biden might have considered stepping aside earlier to create space for a more competitive primary after her move to take the president off the ticket led to the nomination going to Kamala Harris. In an interview with The New York Times, Pelosi speculated that Vice President Kamala Harris “may have done well” in such a scenario but acknowledged that it’s impossible to know for certain.
Her remarks have added fuel to internal party tensions as Democrats work to regroup. A key focus is selecting a new Democratic National Committee chair, as the current chair, Jaime Harrison, is expected to step down.
Harrison came under fire after it was revealed that he had a film crew following him during the campaign to make a documentary about him.
The leadership debates reflect deeper ideological divides within the party. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has urged Democrats to move away from what she called “Obama-era insiders.” This follows a suggestion by former Obama strategist David Axelrod that Rahm Emanuel, the current U.S. ambassador to Japan and a prominent figure from the Obama administration, could be a contender for the DNC chair role.
“If they said, ‘Well, what should we do? Who should lead the party?’ I would take Ambassador Rahm Emanuel, and I would bring him back from Japan and I would appoint him chairman of the Democratic National Committee,” Axelrod said Tuesday on his podcast “Hacks on Tap.”
“He is the most skillful, political kind of infighter in the Democratic Party. … He’s been a member of Congress, he’s been White House chief of staff, he’s been the mayor of Chicago. Now, he’s been ambassador to Japan, and he ran, in 2005 and [2006], the campaign to take back the House,” Axelrod stated.
The Hill reported that Emannuel intends to leave his position overseas at the end of the month.
As Democrats face the daunting task of rebuilding their electoral strategy and countering Republican dominance, some within the party are calling for fresh perspectives and innovative ideas. Despite Pelosi’s polarizing post-election reflections, Jeffries has maintained a focus on unity, emphasizing the importance of collective action in the party’s efforts to recover and move forward.
The former Speaker of the House has no plans to leave Congress anytime soon. Pelosi has already filed for re-election in 2026.
[Read More: Generals Worried About Being Held Accountable For Afghanistan Failure]
