Jeffries went on the offensive after Trump trolled him on Truth Social, showing an AI video depicting him with a mustache and sombrero. Jeffries decried the video as racist and bigoted, then demanded that Trump make any further criticisms to his face. This heavy-handed response shocked many Democrats, according to Politico, who feared the president was successfully baiting him.
At the same time, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer took a different approach. He bemoaned their loss of minority voters using profane language but notably refrained from calling the video racist. Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Schumer dismissed the video as part of a tantrum, proving Trump’s unseriousness. He said the president had been engaging in irresponsible behavior.
In the talks leading up to the government shutdown, Schumer called out Trump in a post on X, pointing out that the former president has never used his name. “Donald Trump has never used my name during his presidency. Now he is afraid to meet to discuss the Republican healthcare crisis and pending government shutdown. Why is that?” he said, signing his name.
The post was ratioed on X, with a critical reply receiving more likes than Schumer’s original post. The post itself garnered more replies than likes and was widely mocked, but it struck a chord among some Democrats.
“They are in the minority over there, and they’re a majoritarian body where the minority has very little voice in terms of affecting the outcomes of events like this,” Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) said, according to Politico. “And so he’s showing what an oppositional party leader should do: a lot of fight, a lot of strength and, frankly, the ability to keep Democrats united on the other side of the Capitol.”
One source of inspiration for Jeffries was Rev. Al Sharpton, a longtime rival of Trump, to whom he spoke ahead of the shutdown. Sharpton shared, “I told him I’ve been fighting with Trump for 35 years, from the Central Park Five all the way through, and sometimes he tried to act nice. I find him to be a day trader—he says whatever will work to his advantage at that particular time. I don’t think Donald Trump believes in anything but Donald Trump.” Jeffries reportedly chuckled at the comment.
### Jeffries’ Criticism of Trump’s AI Video Sparks Another Video
Though her approach was much different than Jeffries’, the House Democrat leader’s predecessor has been pleased with his response. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told Politico, “He has seized the moment. He’s doing a great job. I have no guidance for him except to keep on doing what he’s doing.”
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/3833910/hakeem-jeffries-departure-schumer-pelosi-shutdown-approach/
