House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) went off on the Trump administration on Thursday, ramping up his regular attacks on Republicans by mocking President Donald Trump as the “Titanic” and marveling that people still aren’t jumping ship – yet.
“The Republicans are losers. Why are you bending the knee at this point in time? It’s not clear to you that, as Michael Ray Richardson, the great former New York Knick, once said, ‘the ship be sinking, it’s over.’ This is the Titanic. I don’t get it,” Jeffries said at one point during his presser on Capitol Hill.
“You have a reaction to this board vote today to change the Kennedy Center name to the Trump Kennedy Center?” a reporter asked Jeffries.
The New York Democrat answered with a lengthy rant, “With respect to the latest foolishness to come out of the Trump administration, I mean, it really seems to me at this point that Donald Trump doesn’t give a damn about the prospects of the country and the Republican Party. The notion Donald Trump has spent more time on the golf course than trying to keep health care affordable for the American people or drive down the high cost of living, in and of itself, is extraordinary. But then we layer on top of that—he can find $40 billion to bail out Argentina. He’s trying to extort $230 million from the Department of Justice. He literally has ordered the destruction of the East Wing of the White House. At the same time, he says the affordability crisis is a hoax.” He continued:
Republicans are being crushed electorally all across the country. News of the demise of the Democratic Party was greatly exaggerated. What Donald Trump comes up with at this particular point in time to end the year is not ordering Mike Johnson—because he could have done that—to remain in Washington until we address the issue of health care affordability and extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. The so-called Kennedy Center Board wants to rename the Kennedy Center after Donald Trump. Are you kidding me? Like, how does that help deal with the affordability crisis in this country?
These people are pathetic. They are sycophants. And these are individuals right now who are bending the knee to a loser. The Republicans are losers. Why are you bending the knee at this point in time? It’s not clear to you that, as Michael Ray Richardson, the great former New York Knick, once said, “the ship be sinking, it’s over.” This is the Titanic. I don’t get it. I really don’t understand the situation because these people promised that they were gonna lower the high cost of living on day one, and they failed to do it in year one, let alone day one.
And now their holiday gift to the American people is to continue to try to block our ability to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, but they want to rename, allegedly, the Kennedy Center after Donald J. Trump. These are sick people. Something is really wrong with these folks.
And here’s the final thing: they don’t have the power to do it. Only Congress can rename the Kennedy Center. The wannabe king and his sycophantic minions can’t do it, but they’re going to create a spectacle across the country, and everybody’s going to chase this story. But how does that actually help the American people who’ve already been convinced that Donald Trump is not focused on making their life better?
The whole thing is extraordinary, and it’s another indication of the fact that things have fallen apart quickly for Donald Trump and the Republican Party. And House Democrats are gonna continue our commitment to the principle that in this great country, when you work hard and play by the rules, everyone should be able to live an affordable life, a comfortable life, and the good life. Not too much to ask for in the wealthiest country in the history of the world: good paying job, good housing, good health care, good education for your children, and a good retirement. And that’s what Democrats are going to continue to fight to achieve for every single American in this country.
Thank you all. Happy holidays. Happy holidays!
Watch above via C-SPAN.
