James Carville is no fan of Hakeem Jeffries meeting with Jared Kushner to find common ground, telling the Democratic minority leader bluntly, “F--k these people!”
On Monday’s Politicon podcast, Carville, 81, took Jeffries to task for speaking with Donald Trump’s son-in-law at a mutual friend’s New York City apartment about immigration, housing, and affordability issues, as the New York Times reported. Though Kushner, 45, does not have an official White House role, he has been a go-to man for the Trump administration’s attempts to end foreign conflicts. The Times also reported that they have remained in contact since working on a criminal justice bill in Trump’s first term.
Carville was unconvinced that Jeffries, 56, should have spoken with Kushner.
“Hakeem, you’re a smart guy … let me explain something here—very, very clear. You have Democrats that have a different position on Medicare for All, whether that’s a good idea. You have Democrats that have different positions on effective policing, and there’s a whole variety of subjects of which there are some disagreements within the Democratic Party," he began.
“On one thing, there is no disagreement. There’s unanimity. And it is simply this. In the opinion of every Democrat in the United States—progressive, moderate, middle road, left, f--k, I don’t know, whatever you want—we believe one thing above all: These people are a pack of felons and traitors and you do not meet with them. You do not meet with them!”
A better alternative would be to “drag his a-- before a committee and find [out] about what backdoor-dealing whorehouse s--t he’s got going on with Steve Witkoff and everybody else,” Carville added, referring to Kushner’s partner in foreign policy negotiations. “They’re making every backdoor bull---t deal they can. And we don’t meet with them. Don’t meet with them.”
Carville added: “F--k these people!”
Kushner, the Times reports, suggested Jeffries should also meet with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
The sit-down, which took place “in recent weeks,” according to the Times, comes as Democrats are poised to retake the House amid the Trump administration’s poor polling on the economy and the war in Iran. In that case, Jeffries would be seen as the party’s likely pick to become speaker. Jeffries has led House Democrats since 2023, when he succeeded Nancy Pelosi.
Jeffries’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Beast about Carville.
In a prior statement to the Times about the meeting, Jeffries said, “Throughout this Congress, Republicans have adopted a my-way-or-the-highway approach to governing that has failed the American people.”
He added: “In every conversation that we have with the Trump administration, we will continue to make it explicitly clear that the affordability crisis is not a hoax, and nothing short of transformational policy change is acceptable. We are fighting for an affordable America. The question is whether Republicans will join us.”
