Democratic Home Minority Chief Rep. Hakeem Jeffries Wednesday slammed President Trump for failing to current a plan to decrease prices for the American individuals in his speech to a joint session of Congress.
The Brooklyn lawmaker stated Trump’s speech was all bluster and failed to incorporate concrete proposals to enhance the stuttering financial system.
“There was nothing said … by Donald Trump to meet the needs of the American people, particularly as it relates to the economy,” Jeffries informed ABC’s Good Morning America.
Jeffries accused Trump of abandoning his marketing campaign pledge to cut back costs paid by American customers.
“Donald Trump promised to lower costs. In fact, he promised to lower costs on day one,” he stated. “We know that grocery prices aren’t going down. They’re going up. Inflation is going up. And the stock market is going down, which is hurting the retirement security of everyday Americans.”
President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress on the U.S. Capitol on March 04, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photograph by Andrew Harnik/Getty Photos)
Trump delivered a energetic campaign-style speech that went on for a file 100 minutes, claiming victory on slashing authorities spending and tradition battle points like rolling again transgender rights.
Some Democrats protested by strolling out on Trump whereas others held up placards decrying a few of his controversial statements that fact-checkers referred to as unfaithful.
Rep. Al Inexperienced (D-Texas) was booted from the chamber when he waved his cane and wouldn’t cease heckling Trump.
Jeffries defended his colleagues’ conduct, noting that the majority Democrats sat quietly by Trump’s prolonged diatribe.
“The vast majority of Democrats showed restraint, listened to what the president had to say (even though) we strongly disagree,” he stated.
(L-R, entrance) Members of Democratic Home management US Consultant Pete Aguilar (D-CA), Consultant Katherine Clark (D-MA) and Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) hear as US President Donald Trump speaks throughout an deal with to a joint session of Congress within the Home Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on March 4, 2025. (Photograph by SAUL LOEB/AFP by way of Getty Photos)
The Democratic chief stated his caucus stays dedicated to negotiating a stopgap spending take care of Republicans that might avert a authorities shutdown as quickly as subsequent week.
He stated the divisive speech, which is technically not thought of a state of the union deal with as a result of Trump had solely been in workplace for a month, didn’t bode effectively for bipartisan cooperation within the coming 4 years.
“I was struggling to hear anything relative to what the President had to say in terms of bringing the country together,” he stated. “(It) was one of the most partisan and divisive speeches ever delivered by an American president. And that’s unfortunate.”
Snap polls stated viewers had a lukewarm response to the Trump speech.
About 70% of those that tuned in had a “somewhat positive” response whereas 44 % had a “very positive” response, in accordance with a CNN ballot. These had been decrease marks than he obtained in his first speech to Congress in 201, when 57% rated him “very positively” or former President Biden final 12 months, who obtained a “very positive” response from 51%.
The viewers for the speech skewed way more closely Republican than the inhabitants as an entire, doable giving Trump a lift amongst viewers.
