Fact Check: Did DNC tell Hakeem Jeffries he won't lead House Democrats if they win the midterms?
WASHINGTON, DC: Ahead of the much-anticipated midterm elections in November, a claim began circulating on social media platforms that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has informed House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries he won’t lead the party if it wins. The claim has triggered speculation and prompted a fact-check.
Claim: Hakeem Jeffries has been informed he won't lead House Democrats if party wins the midterms
According to a viral Facebook post, Jeffries has been informed that he won't be the leader of his party in the lower chamber if the Democrats win the midterms.
The post goes on to say that Jeffries, "who was one of the few Democrats to vote to denounce socialism, was informed by the DNC that he no longer represented the values of the new party platform."
The post further accuses the party of endorsing socialism, communism, Sharia Law, and an end to America. It ends by stating that Jeffries says he'll likely retire in 2028.
The claim drew mixed reactions from online users, with many appearing to believe it to be true, while few others remained skeptical and called for a fact check.
Fact Check: The claim originated as satire
However, the claim is false, as there is no evidence that suggests the DNC informed Jeffries he won’t lead the party in the lower house if it wins the midterms.
There are no official announcements, publicly available statements, or press releases from the DNC that support the claim.
There are also no statements or remarks from House Democratic leadership regarding the apparent update.
If the claim were true, it would not go unreported by prominent news media outlets. But a search on Google for the claim yielded no such news reports.
Moreover, the claim was posted by a Facebook parody account called America’s Last Line Of Defense, which describes itself in the bio as "Nothing on this page is real."
Hakeem Jeffries vows to address corruption if Democrats win midterms
During a recent interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, Jeffries was asked what Democrats would do if they win the House in the midterm elections, to which he stated that the party would focus on lowering costs while also addressing what he described as widespread corruption.
"We've got to combat the unprecedented corruption that's been unleashed on the American people, and beginning on day one, hold the crooks accountable," Jeffries said.
He added that people who had been "screwing over the American people, shortchanging the American people, or stealing from the American people" would face accountability under the Democrats.
