Jeffries clashes with White House over political violence: 'Out of control'

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Friday blasted the White House, including press secretary Karoline Leavitt, over recent comments on political violence as the GOP grapples with a Young Republican chat that included hateful rhetoric. 

The chat, which allegedly included comments from New York Assemblyman Michael O’Reilly's chief of staff and a state senator from Vermont, featured texts about loving Adolf Hitler and comments about sending people to "gas chambers."

Jeffries comments were in response to Leavitt's claim on Thursday that the Democratic Party was filled with “Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens and violent criminals.”

“We’ve already seen a rise in political violence and hatred in America, and then you’ve got swastikas apparently appearing in the offices of Republican members of Congress,” Jeffries told reporters. “You’ve got Young Republicans engaging in the most antisemitic and racist speech possible.

“And then you’ve got Karoline Leavitt, who’s sick; she’s out of control,” Jeffries continued. “I’m not sure whether she’s just demented, ignorant, a stone-cold liar or all of the above. But the notion that an official White House spokesperson would say that the Democratic Party consists of terrorists, violent criminals and undocumented immigrants. That makes no sense."

Leavitt hit back at Jeffries in a post on social media, stating that he was not working for the best interest of Americans.

“Democrats do NOT serve the interests of the American people,” Leavitt wrote on X. “Hakeem Jeffries is an America Last, stone-cold loser. Now open up the government and stop simping to try to get your radical left-wing base to like you.”

The exchange comes as the House prepares to break for a week-long recess amid the government shutdown. Lawmakers will still be on a 48-hour notice however, should votes be needed to reopen the government.   

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.