A thrill records of “Today with George Stephanopoulos” broadcasting on Sunday, February 16, 2025 on ABC Information is listed below. This duplicate might not remain in its last kind, might be upgraded and might include small transcription mistakes. For previous program records, see the “Today” records archive.
JONATHAN KARL, ABC “TODAY” CO-ANCHOR: I’m signed up with currently by Congressman Hakeem Jeffries of New York City, the leading Democrat in your house.
Leader Jeffries, thanks for joining us.
I wish to– I wish to begin with that said remarkable scenario in New york city. Prior to she surrendered, the acting united state lawyer for the Southern Area of New york city sent out the attorney general of the United States a pungent letter implicating DOJ of taking part in a quid professional quo with Mayor Adams. Allow me simply checked out component of that letter.
She composed, “Instead of be awarded, Adams’ campaigning for must be called out of what it is, an incorrect deal of migration enforcement aid for the termination of his situation. It is a spectacular and harmful criterion to award Adams’ opportunistic and moving dedications on migration and various other plan issues.
Just how worried are you that the Trump management is attempting to make use of the justice system to manage the mayor of New york city City?
REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES, RESIDENCE MINORITY LEADER & & (D) NEW YORK CITY: Really worried. And the scenario is really troubling. Mayor Adams has a duty to persuade individuals of New york city City that he will certainly have the ability to remain to control in a fashion that places their benefits initially in all times which he’s not just taking orders from a Trump management, a Trump Division of Justice, or Trump authorities that do not have the most effective rate of interest of the city of New york city in mind.
KARL: Since this prosecution has actually been put on hold, which implies the Justice Division can restore the prosecution at any moment if they do not like what Adams is doing.
JEFFRIES: That’s appropriate.
Pay Attention, this Division of Justice is not advertising order, it’s advertising lawlessness and condition. Which’s followed what we have actually seen from the Trump management from the very start, consisting of, however not restricted to, absolving thousands of fierce lawbreakers that struck and completely defeat policeman and afterwards were launched back right into areas all throughout the nation, endangering public security. A lot of these people that were absolved, this was all assisted in, naturally, by the Division of Justice. My Republican coworkers in your house have actually stated absolutely nothing regarding this, or, at even worse, they remain to sustain what has actually happened, this lawlessness and condition. A lot of these people that were absolved, as an example, have substantial rap sheets for points like residential physical violence, tools fees that are severe, and rape.
So, this is not a management that is devoted to the security of the American individuals. They remain to threaten it and flooding the area with turmoil.
KARL: A lot more extensively, we remain in 4 weeks in this 2nd Trump management, what of every one of that we’ve seen play out over these 4 weeks most problems you?
JEFFRIES: Well, Donald Trump and Republicans continually guaranteed that they were mosting likely to decrease the high price of living, and they have actually done the specific reverse. They have actually revealed no rate of interest in decreasing expenses in the USA of America, which are too expensive. Real estate expenses are too expensive. Grocery store expenses are too expensive. Child care expenses are too expensive. Energy expenses are too expensive. The price of living is too expensive in the USA of America. This nation is as well costly. However they have actually damaged their pledge. They have no rate of interest in enhancing the lifestyle of hardworking American taxpayers.
Rather, what they’re attempting to do, while they sidetrack the American individuals, is to jam the GOP tax obligation rip-off down the throats of individuals all throughout this nation, done in solution of enormous tax obligation cuts for their billionaire benefactors and well-off firms. It’s a harmful trickery that is underway, and we will certainly remain to press back vigorously.
KARL: However Donald Trump’s favorability score is in fact greater than it ever before was the very first time around. Allow me ask you, I– I– a current survey by Marquette considered numerous of things that he has actually done or claims that he is mosting likely to do, and 63 percent prefer the federal government’s acknowledgment of just 2 sexes, 60 percent support deporting immigrants that went into the USA unlawfully, 60 percent support increasing oil and gas manufacturing, 59 percent support stating an emergency situation at the southerly boundary.
Exists anything you are seeing that– that Trump is doing that you favor, that you assume is the appropriate point?
JEFFRIES: Allow me claim, as it connects to every one of those problems, we’re simply at the start. And the core pledge that Donald Trump made is that he’s mosting likely to decrease expenses for daily Americans. Actually, we were informed that grocery store costs would certainly drop on the first day, on January 20th. Expenses aren’t reduced. Actually, expenses are raising. The cost of eggs is increasing out of hand. Rising cost of living gets on the method up. That was the core pledge that’s been damaged.
Relative to migration, pay attention, we need to safeguard the boundary. We have a busted migration system and we require to repair it in an extensive and bipartisan method, at the very same amount of time as Democrats, we’re mosting likely to shield daydreamers, shield ranch employees, and shield family members that assist our areas throughout the nation flourish.
KARL: So, the– the– I make sure you saw Audio speaker of your house Johnson claim the Democratic Event has no leader now. You– you may anticipate it from him to claim something like that, however your coworker, Don Beyer, a large advocate of your own in your house, primarily stated that the very same point. He stated, “We’re still searching for that nationwide speaker. And maybe that Hakeem,” you, “ends up being that nationwide voice. It hasn’t took place yet.”
So, are you successfully the leader of the Democratic Event country wide now, the major speaker.
JEFFRIES: It’s my honor to be Residence Autonomous leader, and we’re mosting likely to remain to collaborate in an all-hands-on-deck initiative to press back versus the reactionary extremism that is being let loose on this nation with document speed. We have actually reached combat in the courts, press back in the Congress, and remain to press back in the neighborhood.
And as Residence Democrats, we’re doing simply that, especially as it connects to their initiatives to not just jam these enormous tax obligation reduce the throats of the American individuals for the well-off, affluent and well linked, however they wish to stick functioning course Americans, center course Americans and daily Americans with the costs by successfully finishing medical care as we understand it, injuring kids, injuring females, injuring individuals with specials needs, injuring older Americans, injuring daily Americans by lowering and melting Medicaid to the ground, successfully attempting to repress the Affordable Treatment Act, and they’re mosting likely to target Social Protection and Medicare.
We’re pressing back vigorously versus those initiatives everyday, each week, each month, each year, which will certainly proceed.
KARL: Federal government financing goes out in much less than a month currently. We have actually seen over the previous 2 years Republicans can not or have actually not had the ability to pass federal government financing without Autonomous assistance. Several of your advocates outside are claiming, you must make use of, as take advantage of, the opportunity of a federal government closure to press back at several of what the Trump management is doing now.
What will you require from Mike Johnson and from the Republicans to consent to support initiatives to money the federal government?
JEFFRIES: Republican politicians have actually continually closed down the federal government in the past, and it would certainly be not a surprise if they do simply that this time around around. There’s a Republican head of state, a Republican politician Residence and a Republican Us senate. They have a duty to ensure that federal government stays open and can operate.
As Democrats, relative to any type of costs contract, our sight, our examination is whether that costs contract satisfies the requirements of the American individuals in regards to their health and wellness, their security, our nationwide safety and security and absolutely the financial wellness of daily Americans.
Rosa DeLauro is the leading Democrat on the Appropriations Board. She frequents discussions with her Republican coworker in your house, in addition to our Republican and Autonomous coworkers in the Us senate. We’ll see exactly how that unravels over the following couple of weeks. However we are mosting likely to ensure that any type of contract that is eventually accepted needs to be done that satisfies the requirements of the American individuals and it needs to be carried out completely in conformity with the regulation.
KARL: And simply rapidly, prior to you go, have you had any type of discussions with the White Residence? Have you spoke to Principal of Team Susie Wiles or the head of state regarding this?
JEFFRIES: I have actually not had any type of discussion with the White Residence, however I do anticipate that as we obtain closer and closer to March 14th that those discussions will certainly possibly increase. And, at the end of the day, what we have actually been clear around is that this budget plan that is functioning its method with your house of Reps is a non-starter. Every Democrat opposed it a couple of days earlier in the Spending plan Board and I think that that will certainly remain to be our placement due to the fact that it runs out control.
KARL: All right, Autonomous Leader Hakeem Jeffries, thanks quite.
