House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Jared Kushner Meeting Discussed Key Issues Ahead of Elections

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Jared Kushner, adviser and son-in-law to former President Trump, met in New York City recently. CBS News confirmed the details through a source familiar with the discussion. This private meeting occurred less than three months before the upcoming midterm elections. The Democrats hope to secure control of the House, aiming for Jeffries to become the next Speaker if they win the majority.

The meeting explored several significant topics and potential areas for agreement, including housing, immigration, and cost of living. The New York Times was the first to report this meeting. Despite the notable discussions, both the White House and a spokesperson for Kushner did not immediately respond to CBS News for comments.

Jeffries did not confirm the meeting publicly. However, in a statement, he emphasized his stance against the Republican approach. He condemned their “my-way-or-the-highway” style of governance, criticizing it for failing the American populace. Jeffries stated, “To stop the madness, we have repeatedly made clear that an extremist approach will not work and will be met with forceful opposition.”

Though Kushner holds no formal role in the White House, he remains a critical adviser to Trump in various diplomatic negotiations. Previously, Jeffries and Kushner collaborated on criminal justice reform legislation during Trump’s first term. House Speaker Mike Johnson commented on Sunday, mentioning that he first learned about the meeting through news reports. In his interview with Fox News’ Peter Doocy, Johnson said, “I don’t know what that’s about. I know Jared has interests and lots of other things going on. He’s not really directly involved in the admin, at least in the day-to-day in the White House.”

During Trump’s first term, he met frequently with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and former House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. However, this term, Trump has only met with Schumer and Jeffries once. Instead, Trump has chosen to use social media as a platform to insult them, calling Jeffries “low IQ” and a “thug.” Earlier this year, Jeffries labeled Trump as “the dumbest president ever.”

Nonetheless, in a recent interview with Punchbowl News, Trump described a potential to work with Jeffries, calling him “a nice guy.” Trump remarked, “People are harsh on me. I’m harsh on them. It’s part of the world. I’d probably get along with him very well.”