As votes are released for the U.S. midterm elections, the Democratic Party is expected to regain control of the House of Representatives. With the support of the party, current House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is almost certain to be elected as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives in January next year. Not only will he become the first African American to hold this position in the history of the United States, but he will also be second only to the Vice President in the order of presidential succession.
CNN reported that for President Trump, who faces the final two years of his second term, Jeffress’s strong rise means that Washington is about to usher in a more confrontational congressional oversight. Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, who once predicted Jeffress's leadership potential, said bluntly: "Many people in this (Trump) administration will have trouble sleeping at night."
Jeffress, who first entered Congress in 2013, was once regarded as a "traitor" within the party, but now he has risen to the leadership level due to his outstanding performance on the Judiciary Committee and cross-party negotiation skills, especially Trump's first impeachment case. Aides close to him revealed that Jeffress, a former corporate lawyer, will take a "decisive and aggressive" line in the Trump era. He is poised to promote a new era of Democratic populism that includes taxing the wealthy, subpoenaing big business CEOs, dramatically raising base wages and enacting a strict ethics code for the Supreme Court.
In the face of Trump, Jeffress did not shy away from showing a tough stance. He once responded to Trump's doubts about his intelligence by calling him "the stupidest person in the history of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (the White House)." This summer, he publicly called Trump a "weak, insane, conspiracy-theory-mongering and failed 80-year-old president."
However, how to balance the radical left and moderate lines in the party will be Jeffress's biggest challenge. Sources close to him said he must satisfy voters' desire for a "big break" while avoiding repeating the same mistakes that led to him losing his seat two years later. A moderate Democrat analyzed: "He will do bold and smart things, not bold and stupid things; he will focus on people's livelihood economy and avoid the quagmire of the culture war."
Despite his deep support, Jeffress's leadership style has sparked controversy within the party. Last year, in order to condemn political violence against both parties, Jeffress agreed to support a resolution sponsored by the Republican Party to commemorate the assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) angered members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). They strongly protested that the resolution ignored Kirk's past controversial remarks against African-Americans and made a rare attack on Jeffress in a closed-door meeting.
However, people involved in the mediation said that the conflict only strengthened the caucus' trust in him because "members expressed concerns and he responded positively to them."
Looking forward to 2027, the new Congress is expected to have the largest number of African-American members of Congress in history. Surrounded by this powerful group, Jeffries, nicknamed the "prime minister of hip hop" by his colleagues, will raise the symbolic gavel to reshape Washington's political ecology.
