This party truly is a mess. There are holes across the entire front here. Not only are Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) totally dismissed as the faces of the Democratic Party, but both men now share something new: internal upheaval within their camps. Schumer is afraid of a primary challenge from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Jeffries is reportedly facing a mini-rebellion, with dozens of House Democrats saying privately they will not support him as leader of the caucus next session (via Axios):
Dozens of Democrats running for U.S. House seats across the country told Axios they either wouldn't vote for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) as party leader or declined to commit to doing so.
Why it matters: Jeffries has enjoyed the unanimous support of his caucus since becoming Democratic leader in 2022. That may no longer be the case next Congress amid growing grassroots frustration toward his leadership, particularly on the left.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has been a magnet for criticism from Democratic activists this year, but Jeffries is emerging as another prominent target.
By the numbers: Axios reached out to virtually every Democrat running for a House seat that could conceivably be won by a Democrat in 2026, with 113 responding in phone interviews or written answers.
Of those, 20 said they wouldn't vote for Jeffries as speaker or minority leader, with five more saying they were likely to vote against him.
Another 57 candidates declined to commit to supporting Jeffries — saying it was premature to do so, citing ideological differences or outlining perceived flaws in strategy, messaging or leadership they want to see addressed.
Only 24 said they would definitely vote for Jeffries, with another seven saying they would likely do so.
That’s some general Democrats have right now in the House. What a clown show.
What a blow. You cannot run a shutdown fight with this many defections on your side. It speaks to the inanity of this move by Democrats to shut down the government for illegal alien health care and NPR funding. The flanks are forever vulnerable if this is the stand you want to take. The price tag for this venture is $1.5 trillion—there is no way to defend this, and Democrats are starting to notice their messaging isn’t working as more voters are beginning to turn on them.
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Is Temu Obama on borrowed time? Who knows. It's too early. Remember, many Democrats didn’t want Pelosi as speaker, and she kept winning the gavel. But in the backdrop, this looks awful, with Jeffries looking like an effete suit who can’t corral his caucus or go on television without a strict script, one where if he veers from it, disaster strikes.
Democrats are devoid of charismatic leaders — this proved it again.
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