House Dem leader Hakeem Jeffries demurs when asked about Dems’ terrible polls and listlessness

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries danced around questions about the Democrats’ stunning unpopularity in recent polling, and confronted criticism that the party’s direction is rudderless under the second Trump administration.

Several Democrats have openly questioned congressional leadership over recent weeks, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who openly bashed congressional Democrats last week for “failing to address the real concerns that people have.”

“I have no idea what the governor was talking about. So you’re going to have to ask him for clarification,” Jeffries said on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday when asked about Shapiro’s attack.

“Donald Trump’s poll numbers aren’t going up,” he pivoted. “They are coming down, particularly as it relates to his management of the economy. That’s a direct result of the fact that House Democrats and Senate Democrats have made clear that we are working to drive down the high cost of living.”

Jeffries and other top Dem leaders have responded to the so-called “flood the zone” strategy President Trump has deployed by more carefully picking and choosing battles with the new administration.

Under his watch, Democrats have attempted to keep the focus on kitchen table issues and portray themselves as the champions of the working class rather than getting ensnared in culture war skirmishes with Trump.

But so far, polling suggests that hasn’t done much to help congressional Democrats who have a 21% approval rating compared to 40% for congressional Republicans, per a recent Quinnipiac poll.

Much of the dismal marks appear to stem from dissatisfaction within the Democratic Party over its direction, with only 40% of the party approving of Congressional Dems, per the poll.

Progressive critics have accused Dem leadership of lacking fighting spirit against Trump, including the strategy of selectively choosing battles with the president in a bid to stay focused on bread-and-butter issues.

CNN anchor Jake Tapper referenced the Quinnipiac data as part of a question about why Democrats haven’t been able to peel off Republicans in Congress and torpedo the GOP agenda. Jeffries declined to address the bleak polling data.

“Well, that process is certainly ongoing,” Jeffries replied about efforts to fracture the GOP coalition. “And as we saw play out all across the country, House Republicans are now being held accountable for the extreme positions connected to this reckless Republican budget.”

Last week, several GOP reps such as Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) faced tough crowds at town halls, mirroring similar backlash Republicans received in 2017 and Democrats weathered in 2010 before losing control of the House of Representatives.

Jeffries teased that Democrats are going to be looking for ways to exploit the House GOP’s threadbare majority as they look to derail their agenda.

“We only need three to stand up on behalf of their constituents. And that is going to be an ongoing effort over the next few days to identify those individuals,” he said.

This week, House Republicans are expected to vote on a blueprint for Trump’s “big, beautiful” agenda package featuring tax cuts, border security, energy reform and more.

Then, in mid-March, House GOP leadership will stare down a government shutdown fight. Historically, Republicans have needed Democratic support to avert a shutdown.

Jeffries hinted that Democrats won’t jump to the rescue this time without strings attached but was coy about specific demands.

“We will cross that bridge when we get to it because as we’ve been discussing, we have to stop this reckless Republican budget from going forward,” he said, referring to Trump’s agenda package.

“Republicans have the House, the Senate, and the presidency. It is their responsibility to fund the government.”

Democrats have splintered over the looming shutdown fight, with some moderates interested in keeping the lights on while others have viewed it as the only significant leverage the party will have for some time.