House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ meeting with President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is drawing some measured praise — and skepticism — from Democrats.
Some saw the meeting as a reasonable move for Jeffries, who has a preexisting relationship with Kushner, and as a tacit admission from the White House that the administration will soon have to work with a Speaker Jeffries.
“Opening a backchannel, I think, is just a governing reality,” said one aide, who nevertheless acknowledged that the optics of “planning cooperation” with an administration reviled by the Democratic base aren’t the best.
Another aide was more critical, calling the meeting with Kushner, who many Democrats loathe, “f*cking dumb.”
Jeffries said in a social media video Monday evening that Kushner had asked for the meeting to discuss the affordability crisis but added: “no one is going to get a pass.”
But the meeting could open other lines of communication: Kushner told Jeffries during the meeting that he should meet with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, a person familiar with the conversation confirmed.