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Following Democrats' victories in the Tuesday (November 3) midterm elections, progressives are calling on the party to use its newfound power to hold President Donald Trump accountable. But House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is facing backlash after saying impeachment has not been discussed within his caucus.
On Wednesday (November 4), CNN's Manu Raju asked Jeffries how he planned to approach his first conversation with Trump, particularly amid calls for impeachment.
“I haven’t had a single member of the House Democratic Caucus talk to me about impeachment,” Jeffries responded. “We’ve been relentlessly focused on affordability and accountability.”
Journalist Brian Allen criticized his response, writing, “Hakeem Jeffries says no House Democrat has raised impeachment with him, saying the focus is ‘affordability and accountability.’ Voters handed you the gavels. Use them.”
Jeffries also discussed the party's priorities during an appearance on MS NOW's Morning Joe, arguing that Americans want Democrats to focus on delivering results rather than political retribution.
“The American people don't want us to get even; they want us to get things done on their behalf,” Jeffries said.
He added that Democrats would pursue accountability by following the facts, applying the law and being guided by the Constitution.
His comments drew criticism from progressives who argue that affordability and accountability should not be mutually exclusive.
FOX 5 Atlanta reported that University of Michigan professor Ebony Elizabeth Thomas pushed back on Jeffries' framing, saying, “I say this with all love, Brother Leader Jeffries: No. And it's not (just) retribution. It's restorative justice.”
Several Threads users also criticized his remarks. One wrote, “Accountability is not revenge, Hakeem Jeffries.”
Another user wrote, “Bruh Hakeem Jeffries really couldn't even wait 24hrs to be like ‘We're not gonna do sh*t.’”
A third user pushed back on his argument that Americans want results rather than retribution, writing, “Most Americans: We literally want both.”
The criticism comes as Jeffries prepares to take over as House speaker after Democrats won control of the chamber in Tuesday’s midterm elections. House members are expected to vote on the next speaker when the new Congress convenes on January 3, 2027. If elected, Jeffries would become the first Black speaker in the House's 237-year history, succeeding Republican Mike Johnson.
A Change.org petition titled “Oppose Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker of the House” had collected over 40,000 verified signatures as of Thursday (November 5).
The petition also criticizes Jeffries for meeting privately with Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and former senior White House adviser, in August 2026. According to The New York Times, the two discussed potential areas of cooperation between Democrats and the Trump administration, including housing, immigration and the rising cost of living.The meeting drew criticism from progressives who questioned Jeffries' willingness to pursue common ground with Trump's inner circle while promising aggressive oversight of the administration if Democrats regained control of the House.
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