‘You started this’: Hakeem Jeffries has one message for Donald Trump after losing Virginia
A turning point.
Virginia voters just handed Democrats a major win by narrowly approving a redistricting plan that could flip four House seats in November. The vote bypasses the state’s bipartisan commission and gives Democrats near-total control over Virginia’s congressional map. Republicans had been counting on redistricting gains to secure a House majority, but this result wipes out much of that advantage.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries didn’t waste time calling out the president Donald Trump for starting what he calls a “redistricting war.” In a direct response to a social media post where Trump baselessly claimed the Virginia vote was “rigged,” Jeffries fired back, “You started this redistricting war. The people of America will finish it. Pipe down,” per The Fiscal Times.
Trump’s post leaned into his usual playbook, calling the ballot language “purposely confusing” and adding, “As everyone knows, I am an extraordinarily brilliant person, and even I had no idea what the hell they were talking about.” Jeffries, who has been leading the Democratic pushback against what he describes as a MAGA power grab, made it clear this was a response to the president’s own actions.
Virginia’s vote changes the math
Last year, Trump urged Texas lawmakers to redraw maps to create five additional Republican-leaning seats, setting off a nationwide redistricting battle. Democrats in California quickly followed suit, aiming to create five new seats of their own. Other states like Missouri and North Carolina also saw GOP-led redistricting efforts that tilted the playing field in their favor.
Virginia currently sends six Democrats and five Republicans to the House. With the new map, Democrats are poised to gain four more seats, giving them a 10-1 advantage in the delegation. The referendum passed by a razor-thin margin – 51% to 49% – but in a purple state like Virginia, that’s a significant victory.
Jeffries told NPR’s Morning Edition that the result shows voters understood the stakes. “It was an extraordinary undertaking. But the people of Virginia responded because they understood the assignment, and that’s to make sure we have a free and fair midterm election.”
The redistricting fight isn’t just about Virginia. Democrats need to flip just a handful of seats to regain control of the House, and this win puts them closer to that goal.
Jeffries framed the Virginia vote as a direct rebuke to the president’s efforts to manipulate the election through redistricting. “Donald Trump indicated that he was going to rip away 10, 12, or 15 seats from the people of this country in states like Texas and Missouri and North Carolina as part of an effort to rig the midterm elections,” Jeffries said. “That effort has now been thwarted.”
Jeffries also tied the result to broader Democratic messaging
He said, “All of our candidates have been talking about our commitment to lowering the high cost of living, to fixing our broken health care system, to making sure we get ICE under control – and have immigration enforcement in this country that’s fair, just, and humane – and to stopping this costly and reckless war of choice in the Middle East.” That platform, he argued, is resonating with voters who are tired of the chaos and instability of the past few years.
The redistricting battle isn’t the only political drama unfolding right now. The Department of Homeland Security has been shut down for a record-breaking two months, and Congress hasn’t given any clear indication of when it will reopen. Jeffries blamed House Republicans for the impasse.
“We have a bipartisan bill that the Senate passed not once but twice unanimously that would reopen the Department of Homeland Security with the exception of ICE in the DHS. And Mike Johnson and Republicans refuse to actually bring it to the floor for an up or down vote,” Jeffries said. “If it’s brought to the floor, it will pass overwhelmingly.”
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned that if Congress doesn’t act, the department will run out of money by May and won’t be able to pay employees. Jeffries didn’t mince words about the consequences. “Republicans have made clear that they are the ones who have chosen to shut down the Department of Homeland Security and risk a situation where we may see renewed chaos at airports and TSA agents not being paid,” he said.
Resignations have raised questions of accountability
Meanwhile, three members of Congress have resigned in recent weeks amid public controversies and threats of expulsion, an unusually high number that’s raising questions about accountability. Jeffries said the Ethics Committee needs to establish clearer standards for holding members accountable, especially in cases involving sexual harassment or violence.
“Members of Congress need to be held to the highest ethical standards. And certainly, we cannot, under any circumstances, tolerate sexual harassment or sexual violence,” he said. Two of the resignations, Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales, came after allegations of sexual misconduct.
Swalwell has admitted to making mistakes but denied the allegations and vowed to fight them. Gonzales acknowledged having an affair with a staff member who later died by suicide. Jeffries called their resignations an “important step” but said more needs to be done. “In both instances, there needs to be, clearly, criminal investigations that play themselves out,” he said.
(Featured image: Gage Skidmore)
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