CNN’s Dana Bash to Hakeem Jeffries: Trump Has Crossed Your “Red Line” Arresting Members Of Congress and Staff, What Now?
CNN’s Dana Bash asked House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries how he will respond now that President Trump’s immigration enforcement has charged Rep. Monica McIver with assault on an ICE officer and raided the office for Rep. Jerry Nadler. Jeffries declared last month that arresting members of Congress or staffers would be a “red line” after which Trump would “find out.” “The American people, I think, will ultimately reject that next year, when we will take back control of the House of Representatives,” Jeffries said. “In the meantime, in terms of how we will respond to what Trump and the administration have endeavored to do, we will make that decision in a time, place, and manner of our choosing. But the response will be continuous, and it will meet the moment that is required.” Dana Bash followed up: “What exactly does that mean? Have you not decided how to respond?” “We will respond in a time, place, and manner of our choosing-if this continues to happen,” Jeffries said.
DANA BASH, CNN: I want to ask you about something that happened in your home state of New York in the past couple of days. Congressman Jerry Nadler said that DHS agents entered his congressional office on Wednesday without a warrant and handcuffed a member of his staff. This, of course, comes after the Trump Justice Department charged Democratic Congresswoman LaMonica McIver with obstructing ICE agents after an altercation at a facility in Newark, New Jersey. Now, I know you previously warned that the administration charging members of Congress was a, quote, “red line.” What are you doing now that the red line you talked about has apparently been crossed? REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES: Well, let me make clear that the House is a separate and co-equal branch of government-the Congress. We don’t work for Donald Trump. We don’t work for the administration. We don’t work for Elon Musk. We work for the American people. And we have a responsibility to serve as a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch. That’s the constitutional blueprint that was given to us by the framers of the United States democracy that we have inherited over the last few centuries. And so, we’re going to continue to undertake our congressional responsibility, notwithstanding efforts by the Trump administration to try to intimidate Democrats. It’s unfortunate that our Republican colleagues continue to be nothing more than rubber stamps for Trump’s reckless and extreme agenda. And the American people, I think, will ultimately reject that next year, when we will take back control of the House of Representatives. In the meantime, in terms of how we will respond to what Trump and the administration have endeavored to do, we will make that decision in a time, place, and manner of our choosing. But the response will be continuous, and it will meet the moment that is required. DANA BASH, CNN: What exactly does that mean? Have you not decided how to respond? REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES: We’ve publicly responded in a variety of different ways. We haven’t let our foot off the gas pedal in terms of additional things that may take place with respect to our congressional oversight authority and capacity. We will respond in a time, place, and manner of our choosing-if this continues to happen. DANA BASH, CNN: Do you believe, as Jerry Nadler said, that the administration is trying to intimidate Democrats? REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES: I think the administration is clearly trying to intimidate Democrats in the same way that they’re trying to intimidate the country. This whole shock-and-awe strategy-this flood-the-zone with outrageous behavior-that they’ve tried to unleash on the American people during the first few months of the Trump administration is all designed to create the appearance of inevitability. But Donald Trump has learned an important lesson: the American people aren’t interested in bending the knee to a wannabe king. It’s the reason why Donald Trump actually is the most unpopular president at this point in a presidency in American history. The American people have rejected this approach, and we, as congressional Democrats, will continue to reject this approach.
