Updated July 3, 2026 at 10:09 AM EDT
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is making the case for party unity as this year's primary season exposes ideological divisions among Democrats.
Speaking with Morning Edition on Friday, Jeffries was asked twice by NPR's Michel Martin how he would work with candidates who defeated Democrats he had backed in New York primaries. Each time, Jeffries returned to President Donald Trump and the GOP agenda, saying Democrats are focused on flipping Republican-held seats in November, lowering costs and opposing what he called "MAGA extremism." He added that the House Democratic caucus has long included progressives, New Democrats and Blue Dogs.
"I've worked with sort of the ideologically diverse group of members up until this point and will continue to do so," Jeffries said.
Jeffries criticized Trump's decision to enter the conflict in the Middle East, saying House Democrats oppose what he called the president's "war of choice."
In his conversation with Martin, Jeffries also predicted a bipartisan housing affordability bill awaiting Trump's action will become law and accused the administration of wasting FBI resources by revisiting claims about the 2020 election.
Listen to the full live conversation by clicking the play button above.
The digital version was written by Majd Al-Waheidi and edited by Treye Green.
Copyright 2026 NPR
