A fiery political clash erupted in Washington Friday after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., launched a personal attack on White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt calling her “sick” and “out of control” following her criticism of the Democratic Party’s handling of border security, crime, and support for Israel.
The exchange marks one of the sharpest public spats yet between the Trump administration and Democratic leadership amid an already bitter government shutdown battle that’s now entered its 17th day.
Leavitt, known for her combative style and unapologetic defense of President Trump, did not hold back in her response. Speaking exclusively to Fox News Digital, the press secretary accused Democrats of “lashing out because they know what I said is true.”
“Hakeem and Democrats are lashing out because they know what I said is true,” Leavitt said. “The Democrat Party’s elected officials absolutely cater to pro-Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens, and violent criminals.”
She pointed to House Democrats’ votes against a resolution condemning Hamas after the October 7 terrorist attacks and their vocal support for student protests that turned violent on several college campuses. “Democrats cheered on pro-Hamas radicals while they hijacked America’s college campuses and harassed Jewish students,” she continued.
Leavitt also blasted the Biden-era immigration record, accusing Democrats of opening U.S. borders for political gain. “Democrats opened our borders and allowed tens of millions of illegal aliens into our country over the past four years including rapists and murderers because they view them as future voters,” she said. “They coddle violent criminals and support soft-on-crime policies like cashless bail that let violent offenders back on the streets to hurt law-abiding citizens.”
That triggered a furious response from Jeffries, who used his press briefing on Capitol Hill to publicly denounce Leavitt.
“She’s sick. She’s out of control,” Jeffries said. “I’m not sure whether she’s demented, ignorant, a stone-cold liar, or all of the above but the notion that an official White House spokesperson would say that the Democratic Party consists of terrorists, violent criminals, and undocumented immigrants makes no sense.”
Jeffries went on to accuse the Trump administration of “spreading hate and division” while failing to resolve the ongoing government shutdown. “This is what the American people are getting from the Trump administration in the middle of a shutdown,” he said. “Their actions continue to speak for themselves which is why they’re on the wrong side of public sentiment.”
He also attempted to redirect focus toward the shutdown’s impact on Americans, blaming Republicans for what he called a “Republican healthcare crisis.” “Every day that goes by, people are receiving notices that their health care premiums and co-pays are about to skyrocket,” Jeffries said. “House and Senate Democrats are ready to sit down anytime, anywhere, to reopen the government.”
The White House quickly fired back again, with Leavitt accusing Jeffries of “melodrama and hypocrisy.”
“Instead of defending his party’s record of failure, Hakeem Jeffries resorts to personal insults,” a White House spokesperson said in a follow-up statement. “The truth is Democrats are more focused on appeasing radical activists than protecting Americans.”
Leavitt doubled down later in the day during a televised briefing, arguing that Democrats are “losing the moral high ground” by prioritizing politics over national security. “They talk about compassion while turning their backs on border agents, police officers, and Jewish students under attack,” she said. “The American people see through it.”
The exchange between Jeffries and Leavitt underscores the growing hostility between the Trump administration and congressional Democrats as the fiscal standoff continues. Both sides are using the shutdown to rally their bases — with Republicans emphasizing border security and law enforcement, while Democrats focus on protecting healthcare coverage and government programs.
Jeffries, attempting to project calm amid the chaos, ended his remarks by urging Republicans to “come back to work” and negotiate. “They’ve been on vacation for three weeks,” he claimed. “They refuse to show up, they refuse to negotiate, and they refuse to govern.”
But for the Trump White House, Friday’s clash was just another example of what they see as Democrats unraveling under pressure.
“Democrats can’t handle the truth,” Leavitt said. “They’re panicking because the American people are waking up and they know their time in power is coming to an end.”
As the shutdown drags on and tempers flare, the feud between Karoline Leavitt and Hakeem Jeffries captures the raw emotion of a Washington divided one side accusing the other of corruption and chaos, the other insisting they’re defending democracy itself. And for millions of Americans caught in the middle, it’s just another day in the political storm consuming the nation’s capital.
