Hakeem Jeffries says Trump’s whole life is ‘a scam’ after POTUS’ remark on affordability

Hakeem Jeffries criticized Donald Trump, calling his life 'a scam' after he dismissed 'affordability' during an interview clip played by Chris Hayes
Hakeem Jeffries said that Donald Trump’s life, administration, and House GOP majority are 'a scam,' saying they failed to lower costs as promised (Screengrab/MS NOW, Getty Images)
Hakeem Jeffries said that Donald Trump’s life, administration, and House GOP majority are 'a scam,' saying they failed to lower costs as promised (Screengrab/MS NOW, Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) took a dig at President Donald Trump, saying his whole life is "a scam" after the POTUS shared his take on affordability.

During an interview with MS NOW, host Chris Hayes asked Jeffries, “I want to ask you about the health care system, but since you mentioned affordability, I want to play you what the president said about the word affordability.”

Hakeem Jeffries says Trump tariffs worsen affordability crisis

During the segment, Chris Hayes played a clip of Donald Trump from a Cabinet meeting at the White House, where he said, "This is a fake narrative that the Democrats talk about affordability. They just say the word. It doesn’t mean anything to anybody. It’s just say it. The word affordability is a scam."



Hayes then asked Hakeem Jeffries, "I imagine you disagree, but what do you mean by that word when you say it?" Jeffries responded, "Well, listen, Donald Trump’s whole life is a scam. The Trump administration is a scam. And certainly, the so-called House Republican majority is a scam. These people promised that they were going to lower costs on day one, right?"

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) holds a press conference in the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center on October 01, 2025 in Washington, DC. The federal government shut down early Wednesday after Congress and the White House failed to reach a funding deal. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) holds a press conference in the US Capitol Visitors Center on October 1, 2025, in Washington, DC (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

"They provided the measuring stick. They made that promise to the American people. And of course, costs aren’t going down, costs are going up. The Trump tariffs are creating a crisis in affordability, thousands of dollars in additional expense for everyday Americans in terms of goods and groceries," the House Minority Leader added.

Trump, during the Cabinet meeting, noted that although inflation has eased since he returned to office in January, Americans still feel the burden of elevated costs. He insisted his administration "stopped inflation in its tracks" over the past year but admitted that progress has been uneven.

U.S. President Donald Trump attends a meeting of his Cabinet in the Cabinet Room of the White House on December 02, 2025 in Washington, DC. A bipartisan Congressional investigation has begun regarding Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's role in ordering U.S. military strikes on small boats in the waters off Venezuela that have killed scores of people, which Hegseth said are intended
President Donald Trump attends a meeting of his Cabinet in the Cabinet Room of the White House on December 2, 2025, in Washington, DC (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

He added that more work remains, predicting inflation is "going to go down a little bit further."

Americans say inflation still out of control under Trump

A recent Fox News poll showed that 76 percent of respondents rated the national economy as “not so good” or “poor,” while 60 percent said their personal financial situation was also not good or poor. 

President Donald Trump gestures during a meeting of his Cabinet in the Cabinet Room of the White House on December 02, 2025 in Washington, DC. A bipartisan Congressional investigation has begun regarding Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's role in ordering U.S. military strikes on small boats in the waters off Venezuela that have killed scores of people, which Hegseth said are intended
President Donald Trump gestures during a meeting of his Cabinet in the Cabinet Room of the White House on December 2, 2025, in Washington, DC (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Approval numbers were similarly bleak, with 61 percent saying they disapproved of President Donald Trump’s handling of the economy, compared to 38 percent who approved. Support remained strongest among Republicans, with 77 percent backing the POTUS’ performance, while only 25 percent of independents and 6 percent of Democrats agreed.

One of the most striking findings of the poll was that Americans overwhelmingly felt inflation was still out of control. About 52 percent said prices were “not at all” under control, while just 18 percent believed inflation was completely or mostly under control.

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