President Donald Trump may be losing confidence in his party’s chances of holding onto the House in the midterms, if his son-in-law’s latest diplomatic efforts are any indication.
Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law who serves as his “special envoy for peace” in the Middle East, recently met with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, The New York Times reported, as polls increasingly show signs of Republicans losing one or both chambers to Democrats in November.
Voter sentiment has been turning against the GOP for months as Americans sour on the Iran war and a cost-of-living crisis.
Kushner and the Democratic leader discussed several topics at the recent get-together in New York City including immigration, housing and cost of living, The Times reported.
Neither Jeffries nor Kushner confirmed the meeting directly. But the House Democratic leader issued a statement to the Times condemning the Trump administration’s one-path approach in recent negotiations with Democrats in Congress.
“Throughout this Congress, Republicans have adopted a my-way-or-the-highway approach to governing that has failed the American people,” said Jeffries, according to the Times.
However House Speaker Mike Johnson addressed reports of the meeting on Fox News’ The Sunday Briefing and warned Kushner not to “hedge his bets” against the House Republican caucus.
“I know Jared’s a smart guy and he hedges bets, but I’m telling you what, you better not bet against the House Republicans,” said Johnson. He added that the election would come down to “about 19 seats that will decide the fate of the Republic.”
The meeting was reportedly set up by a mutual friend of the pair. Jeffries and Kushner have reportedly stayed in touch after working on a criminal justice reform bill during Trump’s first term, according to the Times.
If the Democrats win four seats in the House in November, Jeffries will takeover from Johnson as Speaker in January. In the Senate, Democrats need four seats to obtain a majority.
Democrats’ path to a House win looks much clearer with polling in their favor over the last two months. And some GOP members are facing especially tough re-election races due to personal issues.
New Jersey Representative Tom Kean returned to the House in July after an absence of 116 days, during which he missed votes and did not speak to reporters.
He later issued a statement explaining that he was battling depression. Kean won his district handily in 2024, but local fights over an ICE processing facility as well as his extended absence have created new challenges for his re-election effort. The House Democratic campaign has identified Kean’s district as one of their “Red to Blue” priorities this cycle.
Ohio Rep. Max Miller, meanwhile, is dogged by allegations of child abuse and domestic abuse by his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, daughter of Republican Senator Bernie Moreno.
