‘Keep Your Mouth Shut’: Hakeem Jeffries Dukes It Out With House Republican Over Government Shutdown

Two New Yorkers came to verbal blows on Wednesday afternoon over Democrats’ refusals to reopen the government as the shutdown drags on with no end in sight.

Republican New York Rep. Mike Lawler confronted Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for voting to shut down the government outside of the lead Democrat’s press conference. Jeffries has complained for weeks that Republicans are not willing to debate the government shutdown on the House floor, but when Lawler came prepared to discuss the matter, the lead Democrat told Lawler to “keep his mouth shut.”

“Didn’t you want all Republicans to be here?” Lawler told Jeffries. “I’m here.” “I voted for a clean CR to keep the government open and funded,” Lawler continued. “You voted to shut it down.”

Jeffries clapped back by accusing Lawler of trying to create a viral moment and attacked him for supporting President Donald Trump’s signature legislative accomplishment, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The lead Democrat frequently pointed his finger at Lawler’s chest during the confrontation.

“Are you trying to elevate yourself because you’re afraid you’re going to lose reelection?” Jeffries countered at one point. “You’re chasing clout.”

“You’re not going to talk to me and talk over me because you don’t want to hear what I have to say,” Jeffries continued. “So why don’t you just keep your mouth shut?”

Nearly every House Democrat voted against a bipartisan spending bill to avert a government shutdown in September. Jeffries has spent the past several weeks calling for negotiations with Republicans to add $1.5 trillion in unrelated policy demands to the funding measure, but Speaker Mike Johnson has been adamant that no discussions will take place until Democrats reopen the government.

Across the Capitol, Senate Democrats tanked the House-passed funding measure for the sixth time on Wednesday afternoon.

Lawler also hammered Jeffries for not weighing in on the New York mayoral primary. The election is less than a month out and Jeffries has repeatedly declined to say whether he supports the 35-year-old socialist and Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani for mayor.

“When are you endorsing him?” Lawler asked Jeffries. “Do you endorse him for mayor?”

“First of all, I don’t answer to you,” Jeffries replied. “You don’t even answer to yourself. I’ll answer whatever questions I need to answer about the mayor’s race.”

Jeffries did not answer Lawler’s question nor respond to the GOP lawmaker’s concern that Mamdani’s statement marking the October 7th terror attacks blamed “the Jews.”

“That’s sad,” Lawler added.

Mamdani is heavily favored to win the city’s mayoral election in November. Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have thus far refused to back a candidate, despite several top New York Democrats endorsing Mamdani in recent weeks.

Andi Shae Napier contributed to this report. 

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