(CNN) — House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is defending himself after facing some criticism over his meeting with Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and close adviser.
Jeffries recently met with Kushner privately in New York to discuss ways the White House can collaborate with Democrats on key issues, such as immigration, hosing and the cost of living, a source familiar with the meeting told CNN.
In a video post on X on Monday night, Jeffries said, Kushner “asked for a meeting, and I took it to discuss the affordability crisis that exists that is not a hoax.”
“No one is going to get a pass. We’re going to hold every single member of the Trump cartel accountable, beginning on day one,” he continued, going on to tout the ways House Democrats have challenged the Trump administration.
Jeffries has emerged as a vocal opponent of Trump in the president’s second term. He has not ruled out potentially impeaching Trump if House Democrats hold the majority next year, though he has repeatedly insisted the party is focused on lowering costs for Americans, which he says have been driven up by the president’s policies.
Jeffries faced backlash from some pundits after reports emerged that he met with Kushner. The private meeting was first reported by the New York Times on Sunday.
Former Obama staffer and co-host of Pod Save America Tommy Vietor said in a post on X, “Jared Kushner has no actual government job he just uses his family connections to get money from gulf autocrats and fund corrupt deals. The only way (Jeffries) should work with him is with demands for documents and subpoenas.”
Mehdi Hasan, an outspoken journalist, said, “The only meeting Hakeem Jeffries should be having with Jared Kushner is to tell him he’ll be subpoenaed by the House for a corruption investigation on day one of Democratic control of the House. This is just pathetic stuff from the House Dem leader.”
Former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a staunch Trump critic, said in a post on X, “There really is no excuse for a secret meeting, especially before the election.”
Some prominent Democrats have, meanwhile, stood by Jeffries.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said in a post on X, “I also met with Leader Jeffries this week. We both know we have to do all we can to hold every part of the Trump cartel accountable.”
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said during a news conference, “I continue to support Congressman Jeffries and his bid to become the leader.”
Kushner and Jeffries previously worked together on The First Step Act, a law passed with bipartisan support in 2018 that sought to reduce the federal prison population by, among other things, easing mandatory minimum sentencing requirements for certain violations.
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