WHEN YOU’RE A DEMOCRAT WHO’S LOST CNBC: Hakeem Jeffries Flips Out on CNBC After Anchor Calls Him Out on Obamacare.
Jeffries immediately shifted into campaign mode. He declared, “Leader Schumer offered a one-year extension in the context of trying to end the Trump Republican [sic] shutdown.” He went straight to the past, ignoring the question. [CNBC’s Rebecca] Quick stopped him.
“That’s different. I’m talking about what you have now,” she said. “Let’s not go back to what’s done in the past and what has not been extended.”
Jeffries started getting irritated at this point. “You can ask me the question. I’ll provide the answer,” he snapped.
Quick didn’t flinch. “Answer the question instead of going back.”
That’s when Jeffries’ temper started to flare. “I’m providing an answer in order to provide context,” he insisted, puffing himself up as if he were educating a misbehaving student. He accused Republicans of refusing to accept a “very reasonable multi-year extension,” insisting that Democrats had offered a one-year extension plus a long-term bipartisan commission. He lectured her, saying, “Having that context is absolutely important, regardless of what you may think.”
Quick could clearly tell that Jeffries was dodging because he doesn’t actually want a deal. And she called him out on it: “It’s important context to make me realize that I don’t think you want to get a deal done. I think this is something where you’d like to see the rates go higher and allow the Republicans to hang themselves with that. Is that the answer? Is this politics?”
Jeffries lost it. “That’s absolutely a ridiculous assertion,” he barked. “And really, shame on you for saying that.”
Shame? For noticing the obvious? For pointing out the Democrats’ favorite midterm strategy: engineer a crisis, blame Republicans, cash in politically?
Jeffries insisted, yet again, that this was a noble mission. “Listen, this is not a partisan fight for us, it’s a patriotic fight,” he declared. Quick responded with an eye roll that said everything.
New gif for your future Hakeem replies pic.twitter.com/0KMglxsTwS
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) November 21, 2025