House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries popped off at President Donald Trump after he demanded the New York Democrat face criminal charges over remarks about “maximum warfare” against Republicans.
Trump unloaded on Jeffries in a Truth Social post that linked the Democrat’s rhetoric to the recent assassination scare at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
“This lunatic, Hakeem ‘Low IQ’ Jeffries, should be charged with INCITING VIOLENCE!” Trump wrote.
“The Radical Left Democrats actually want to Destroy our Country,” he added.
The Knicks are up 2-0 and I have to wake up to another deranged rant from this guy.
Gas prices are sky high, grocery bills are surging and families can't catch a break.
Democrats are about to take back the House and you're losing your mind.
Where's the luv? pic.twitter.com/b99hG88jPA
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) May 7, 2026
The president’s post included photos of Jeffries speaking at a news conference alongside images tied to the Washington Hilton security breach involving alleged gunman Cole Allen.
Trump highlighted Jeffries’ comment that Democrats were entering “an era of maximum warfare” as Republicans and Democrats battle over congressional redistricting ahead of the midterms.
“Should Hakeem Jeffries be charged with inciting violence?” Trump asked his followers.
Jeffries fired back hours later in a video posted to Instagram, mocking Trump while accusing the president of obsessing over him instead of addressing the economy.
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“What’s up, y’all? The Knicks are up two-zip, I’m feeling good, and then I got to wake up this morning and deal with another deranged rant from an out-of-control president, threatening to criminally prosecute me,” Jeffries said.
“You ain’t intimidating a damn person,” he continued. “We’re going to continue to stay on your case, but what’s wrong with you, bro? Why do I stay on your mind? You ain’t got nothing better to do?”
Jeffries then pivoted directly into an attack on Trump’s economic record.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries fires back at Trump:
“What’s wrong with you bro? Why do I stay on your mind?… You need an intervention. Get some help." pic.twitter.com/JbpnnG1fGx
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) May 7, 2026
“Gas prices are surging, grocery bills are out of control, the American people are drowning in your failed economy, and you ain’t got nothing better to do but to think about me?” he added.
The clash exploded after Jeffries previously warned Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis against attempting another aggressive congressional redistricting push.
Democrats have been locked in a widening battle with Republicans over maps in several states ahead of the 2026 elections, including Florida, Texas, Virginia and South Carolina.
During an April news conference, Jeffries said Democrats planned to intensify their political pressure campaign.
“We are in an era of maximum warfare. Everywhere, all the time,” Jeffries said.
Three days later, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was disrupted after Allen allegedly stormed a Secret Service checkpoint at the Washington Hilton.
The feud escalated even further after the Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s second majority-Black congressional district in a 6-3 ruling Wednesday.
Jeffries blasted the decision as “illegitimate” and accused the conservative majority of undermining minority representation.
Trump responded by suggesting the Democratic leader himself should face impeachment.
“Hakeem Jeffries, a Low IQ individual, said our Supreme Court is ‘illegitimate,’” Trump wrote in another Truth Social post earlier this week.
“After saying such a thing, isn’t he subject to Impeachment? I got impeached for A PERFECT PHONE CALL. Where are you Republicans? Why not get it started?”
Jeffries Derangement Syndrome. pic.twitter.com/QUDHDsVWln
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) May 3, 2026
Jeffries dismissed that attack Sunday with a short post on X. “Jeffries Derangement Syndrome,” he mocked.
Fellow New York Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat later defended Jeffries during an appearance on MSNBC, accusing Trump of lashing out because of his standing with voters.
“He is a president that’s drowning in his dismal poll numbers and is hanging on [for] dear life, trying to finger-point and try to discredit a member of Congress who clearly is rising,” Espaillat said.
“And so, you’ll hear more from him as his polls continue to drop, as they are right now,” he added.
Jeffries has repeatedly insisted Republicans are selectively pretending to care about inflammatory rhetoric while defending Trump’s own history of aggressive political language.
Following the White House Correspondents’ Dinner incident, Jeffries publicly condemned political violence during an interview with Fox News.
“It is certainly the case that violence is never the answer, whether it’s targeted at the right, the left or the center,” Jeffries told Shannon Bream.
When asked how politicians should respond to rising tensions, Jeffries argued elected officials needed to model restraint.
“Whatever your ideological perspective is, we all love America, and we all want to make sure that this country is the best that it can possibly be,” he said.
But later that same day, Jeffries shifted back into attack mode online while continuing to defend his “maximum warfare” rhetoric.
On social media Sunday, Jeffries wrote that “America will not be lectured about civility by far-right extremists in Congress” before later insisting “now is a time to unify.”
The next day, Jeffries defended his decision to use the phrase “maximum warfare,” arguing Republicans and the White House used similar language first during earlier redistricting fights.
“That phrase ‘maximum warfare everywhere, all the time’ came from the White House in the summer of 2025,” Jeffries said at a Capitol news conference. “Why? Because Democrats have decided to finish it. Get lost.”
Jeffries made clear he had no intention of backing away from the phrase as reporters pressed him again at the Capitol the next day.
🚨 WTF?! Hakeem Jeffries-Temu Obama JUST BLEW UP on Karoline Leavitt pushing for civility after the left tried KlLLING TRUMP again
“She wants to lecture US about civility? Get lost! Clean up your own house before you have anything to say to us.”
RESIGN, Hakeem! pic.twitter.com/USbGfu4WNG
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 27, 2026
“The notion that any of us are concerned with so-called criticism from these phony Republicans as it relates to anything that has been said — certainly as it relates to the comment related to ‘maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time,’ in connection to the redistricting battle that Republicans launched — I stand by it,” he continued.
“You can continue to criticize me for it. I don’t give a damn about your criticism.”
He also attacked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt after she blamed Democratic rhetoric for contributing to the Washington Hilton attack.
“This so-called White House press secretary wants to lecture America, and lecture us, about civility? Get lost. Clean up your own house,” Jeffries commented.
“We embrace the fact that everybody should take the temperature down,” he added. “We’re just not going to be lectured by extremists on the other side of the aisle who are looking directly at the camera and then lying to the American people.”
