House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries delivered remarks Tuesday at the Center for American Progress’ 2026 CAP IDEAS Conference that have ignited immediate backlash.
During a session titled “A Look Ahead at the 120th Congress,” Jeffries stated: “Part of how we as House Democrats view this moment, either MAGA extremists are going to break the country, or we’re going to break them, and our goal is to break them.”
The comments came from Jeffries—who would become Speaker of the House if Democrats regain control in November—outlining a strategy for Democrats to first defeat opponents at the ballot box and then “break their spirit” due to what he described as unacceptable extremism targeting American voters.
Republican officials have criticized the language, noting it risks alienating millions of Americans who voted for former President Trump.
