Jeffries struggles to answer after child reporter asks about Democrats being seen ‘so poorly’
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was left stunned when a child reporter asked him about Democrats being seen as “so poorly” by the voters.
He faced the tough question on Thursday, April 23, during a Capitol Hill event during ‘Take Your Child to Work Day,’ where children of journalists were encouraged to ask questions from politicians. The daughter of CNN’s Manu Raju reportedly questioned Jeffries during the session, “Why do voters view Democrats so poorly?”
Jeffries calls child's question 'great'
Hakeem Jeffries celebrated Take Your Child to Work Day by taking questions from the kids of the Capitol Hill press corps, but it got heavy fast.
— POLITICO (@politico) April 23, 2026
The first question: “Why do voters view Democrats so poorly?”
See his response and more of the questions👇 https://t.co/SXjfwP3t5D pic.twitter.com/ASs5XwKTcs
The question immediately made the audience laugh while a shocked Jeffries asked the girl if it was her father who told her to ask it. The 55-year-old politician, however, noted that “it’s a great question in that — I’m gonna have words with you after this, Manu.”
Jeffries then went on to speak at length about people’s growing distrust in politicians.
He stated, “I think that we exist in an era right now where the American people are understandably frustrated with institutions because far too many people in this country are struggling to live paycheck to paycheck.”
Jeffries claims people are frustrated with Trump
“They can’t thrive and can barely survive. And so there’s a frustration with Congress. There’s frustration with institutional political parties, whether that’s Democrats or Republicans,” the lawmaker explained.
Jeffries further claimed that people are even frustrated with the “courts, with organized religion, with the media, frustration with institutions of higher education.” He went on to slam President Donald Trump, asserting that of course people are frustrated “with the current president of the United States of America.”
“There’s a great frustration that applies to every organized institution in this country, and Democrats are not immune from that. And we do have a responsibility to continue to convince the American people that, as a party, we’re actually focused on making their life better,” he added.
Trump slams Jeffries, calls him 'not smart enough'
This came as on Thursday Trump once again attacked Jeffries by calling him “low IQ”.
Trump calls a second Black person “low IQ” within minutes: “Hakeem ‘High Tax’ Jeffries is a Low IQ individual who is not smart enough to be ‘running’ the Democrat Party, and certainly not smart enough to be involved in running the United States of America. It’s people like this… pic.twitter.com/FhPLXhDhnt
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 24, 2026
On his Truth Social Post, he wrote, “Hakeem ‘High Tax’ Jeffries is a Low IQ individual who is not smart enough to be ‘running’ the Democrat Party, and certainly not smart enough to be involved in running the United States of America.”
“It’s people like this who almost destroyed our Nation with their High Tax, Open Border Policies. In the future, Hakeem, a fine American name, will forever be known as HIGH TAX!” the Republican leader added.