WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 Bringing the kind of punch many voters are demanding, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s 100 days in office have been an assault of Americans’ very way of life and promised Democrats in Congress are fighting as hard as they can to stop more ” bad things鈥 from happening.
In a major address on the milestone of Trump鈥檚 time at the White House, Jeffries, if Democrats regain power, also put Republicans in Congress on notice that their days as a “rubber stamp鈥 to of 鈥渃haos, cruelty and corruption鈥 won鈥檛 last.
鈥淭he Trump administration has been a disaster,鈥 Jeffries of New York told the packed crowd at a historic theater in Washington.
鈥淒onald Trump and the Republicans thought they could 鈥榮hock and awe鈥 us into submission,鈥 he said, adding they were wrong. 鈥淲e’re just getting started.鈥
The leader鈥檚 speech stood as an assessment not only , but also of the strength of the Democratic resistance. Americans are registering a weariness with the president, with . The Democratic leadership in Congress is over how best to confront the speed, scope and scale of the Trump administration鈥檚 unprecedented, and at times unlawful, actions.
House Speaker has mocked the attempt by Democratic leaders to find their political footing as Trump blazes through the start of his second term at the White House, which the GOP leader celebrated with four words: 鈥淧romises made, promises kept.鈥
Johnson cited the Trump’s achievements in , reversing the government’s diversity programs and others, arguing the president has as accomplished more during this period than many do 鈥渋n their entire careers.鈥
Jeffries has at times been seen , known for his ability to stay cool under enormous pressure. But standing later on the steps of the U.S. Capitol with , Jeffries and other lawmakers sought to assure Americans, and their own voters, they were up for the job, and ready to fight back.
Schumer chalked up Trump鈥檚 first 100 days as defined by 鈥渙ne big F word 鈥 failure.鈥
The leaders warned of more to come. Republicans in Congress, who hold majority control of both the House and Senates, are rushing ahead to deliver on Trump鈥檚 priorities, including his of tax breaks and spending cuts.
Republicans are 鈥渃omplicit,鈥 Schumer said, in failing to hold the president responsible, even when he is breaking the laws.
One Democrat, Georgia Sen. , encouraged GOP lawmakers to peel away from Trump, imploring them with a message of the Civil Rights era: 鈥淚t’s never too late to be on the right side of history.鈥
Warnock, who also was pastor of the Rev. historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, said Trump and the GOP are trying to 鈥渨eaponize despair鈥 of the American people.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e trying to so beat us down that we will be too so weary to fight,” Warnock said, 鈥渁nd it鈥檚 our job to prove them wrong.鈥
It may be just 100 days into the new presidential administration, but the congressional leaders are already mapping the political races ahead in the 2026 midterm elections. In the House, where holds only the slimmest GOP majority, Jeffries is working vigorously to win back the few seats needed to flip control to Democrats.
Jeffries appears increasingly in command of his role, as the leader of the Democratic minority in the House, but also as the rising party leader on the national stage.
He told dad stories, shuttling his family on trips for his son’s to travel baseball game, and of his own understanding of the nation’s tax code seeing his wages on his first paycheck as a teenager in a minimum wage job drawn out for and the safety net programs he came to appreciate as Americans’ earned benefits.
鈥淵ou work hard for those benefits, pay into those benefits,鈥 he said, scoffing at Republican efforts to dismiss them as entitlement programs.
Jeffries name-checked billionaire and his for the 鈥渃ruel鈥 way they are slashing federal spending that halts medical research and cuts employees’ jobs. He said Trump and Musk have failed to make life safer or more affordable.
鈥淭rump鈥檚 unconstitutional assault on the American way of life is unprecedented. But the so-called dictator on day one is learning an important lesson: Americans don鈥檛 bend the knee to bullies,鈥 Jeffries said.
鈥淲e will not rest until we end this national nightmare,鈥 he said.
Jeffries stumbled slightly in his opening remarks about Trump鈥檚 first 100 鈥測ears鈥 鈥 before quickly correcting himself to 鈥渄ays鈥 鈥 saying the quiet part out loud for many Democrats and allies exhausted by it all.
鈥淩epublicans in Congress could put a stop to this insanity at any time,鈥 Jeffries said. 鈥淪ince they won’t, next November, we will.鈥
Over the next 100 days, Jeffries says House Democrats will be laying out their own blueprint for what they would do if they were in charge 鈥 and it won鈥檛 be about Trump but 鈥渁ll about you.鈥
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Associated Press writer Matt Brown contributed to this report.
