Hakeem Jeffries Tells Mike Lawler To “Keep His Mouth Shut” During Tense Confrontation

Hakeem Jeffries let the Brooklyn jump out during a tense confrontation with fellow New York congressman Mike Lawler.

Tensions are understandably high on Capitol Hill as the government remains shut down thanks to MAGA Republicans and Donald Trump not budging on extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies.

The subsidies are set to expire at the end of the year, which will be dire for 20 million Americans who rely on them to make their healthcare more affordable. 

Wednesday, a clip of Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) going at it after Lawler tried to make a scene by approaching Jeffries in public and asking him why he didn’t sign onto a temporary extension of subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. 

Jeffries and his fellow Democrats have stood firm on wanting more than one year for the health care subsidies. 

During the exchange, the two New York politicians talk over each other with Jeffries asking Lawler, “Did your boss, Donald Trump, give you permission?”

“He’s not my boss!” Lawler responded. “And by the way, why did you vote to shut the government?”

“You’re making a show of this to make yourself relevant,” Jeffries clapped back. “You’re embarrassing yourself right now.

He continued, “You’re chasing a crowd.” Lawler followed up, saying, “You have to sign on to the bill.”

Social Media Loved The Energy From Hakeem Jeffries

The back-and-forth went viral, with many folks applauding Jeffries for his energy and telling him this is the energy they want to see from him and other Democrats on a regular basis.

“Kudos to you, Jeffries! We really need more of this energy!” one user on BlueSky wrote.

Another user on Bluesky wrote, “Thataway, Hakeem!”

We hope Jeffries and the rest of the Democrats continue to keep their foot on Republicans’ necks.

You can peep more reactions below.