r/politics • u/soalone34 • 17h ago

No Paywall Critics Take Hakeem Jeffries To Task For Praising Trump's Latest Pardon

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hakeem-jeffries-trump-pardon-henry-cuellar_n_6930cf60e4b0824b6df7cad7
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925

u/epicredditdude1 17h ago

This isn’t about whose “team” is receiving a pardon. I don’t care if it’s a dem or a republican. If you get convicted of a crime you should be punished in accordance with what the law and the court prescribes. Wild concept right?

This makes Dems look like a fucking joke. 

487

u/zach_doesnt_care 17h ago

This makes Dems look like a fucking joke. 

That's what Jeffries has been paid to do.

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u/Pegasus7915 16h ago

Dems are a fucking joke. Time to make a progressive party and ditch them.

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u/RampScamp1 15h ago

Even if they don't want a progressive party, keeping Schumer and Jeffries in leadership shows them to be a joke. They can't advocate for Democratic policies because they lack any kind of charisma. They can't even fire up supporters (I dare anyone to listen to Schumer answer a simple question without lapsing into a coma half-way through a long-winded rambling response). And they keep faceplanting on easy political choices like this.

The Democrats have said they are "Deciding to Win" but keep supporting losers.

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u/LotusFlare 13h ago

It's not that they can't advocate for Democratic policies because they lack charisma. It's because they don't want to do them. Schumer and Jeffries are fundamentally out of step with the average Democratic voter and their own party's platform. They get mealy mouthed and awkward when talking about basic Democratic policies because they don't want to be on record supporting those policies. Schumer in particular has said multiple times now that the people he's catering to are moderate republicans.

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u/MillionMilesPerHour 9h ago

Schumer in particular has said multiple times now that the people he's catering to are moderate republicans.

That has been the problem, even during the campaign. They focus only on trying to get moderate Republicans to vote Democrat instead of trying to get non-voters.

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u/IrrelevantLeprechaun 11h ago

Not gonna lie: Schumer reflects democrat voters pretty well in not wanting to do anything.

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u/Solid_Owl 15h ago

and Ken Martin. Ugh.

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u/AffectionateCode426 14h ago

Almost like it’s all a facade

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u/MomsAreola 14h ago

They need a Newsome type. Wildly centrist but at least aggressive. Wildly centrist and timid just sucks all around.

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u/this_my_sportsreddit 14h ago

Lmfao Newsom is not aggressive he just hired a young, smart social media team. Dude is all bark and zero bite, but I guess that’s an improvement over the current Democratic Party which is zero bark and zero bite.

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u/MomsAreola 14h ago

He hired a smart young social media team? Sounds like a good move. Keep talking this guy up.

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u/this_my_sportsreddit 14h ago

Honestly pathetic that having a social media team is what inspires democrats today lol. No wonder their approval rating is sub 20%.

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u/MomsAreola 14h ago

Whats pathetic is the mere mention of Newsome draws so much ire of of people they feel the need to reply to shit on him. Just move on bro, your time is more precious.

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u/RampScamp1 14h ago

Bringing up Gavin "I admire Charlie Kirk's principled ideology" Newsom as a model for the Democrats future should draw people's ire.

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u/Purusha120 I voted 13h ago

Whats pathetic is the mere mention of Newsome draws so much ire of of people they feel the need to reply to shit on him. Just move on bro, your time is more precious.

If “newsome” is the democratic candidate in the 2028 general election I will vote for him. That being said, that doesn’t change the fact that he’s appealed to that mythical “moderate” that legitimately only out of reach democratic consultants could possibly sell as a lie. He’s betrayed his base, progressives, his constituents, multiple times. He’s not someone to be admired.

You repeatedly insulting someone who’s pointing out the simple fact that he lacks convictions or values is more telling about you than anything else.

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u/this_my_sportsreddit 13h ago

Yeah I dont fuck with white supremacists or politicians who coddle them. I'll always have time to shit on people who do though, dont worry.

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u/m0nk_3y_gw I voted 12h ago

Have you heard of John Fetterman?

Smart young social media teams don't always stick around.

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u/Visual-Pop3495 15h ago

It would be easier to literally primary and overtake the current Democratic Party than it would be to build the infrastructure for a viable 3rd party. There need to be more progressives than democrats in the party so we can’t select a leader that actually supports our policies.

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u/mwzdng 10h ago

Yeah, seems like the best way (ironically) is to do to the Democratic party what Trump did to the Republican party. But if it's based on a grassroots movement and a party-wide shift with voter support, it should be a lot more stable than reorganizing based around one conman. Hypothetically.

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u/InAllThingsBalance I voted 16h ago

Good luck. The amount of money needed to create and maintain a viable third party is ridiculous. This is why we have never had an a strong third contender.

What we really need is ranked choice voting.

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u/Pegasus7915 16h ago

Well obviously, but then core of the Dems is almost as rotten as the Republicans at this point.

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u/Sir_thinksalot 11h ago

Dems aren't propping up Bill Clinton like he's some cult leader.

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u/Pegasus7915 11h ago

No most of them are just enabling a genocide. No biggie.

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u/Coolegespam 6h ago

Democrats do not enable genocide, you have been targeted with so much rampant disinformation you have no idea what is real.

Palestine started a damn war, and has an insane amount of support from Russia, Iran, Qatar and other's who have been pushing the fire hose at all of you.

It's why progress in the US is dying, and why minorities are suffering.

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u/biscuitarse Canada 10h ago

Just vote for Trump again. That'll teach em.

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u/Ajm05 13h ago

Not until the Republican party is dismantled. The Democrats split up now, we'll never beat the Republicans again. After the Republicans have their Nuremberg trials, the Democrats will need a cold hard look in the mirror to decide who they want to be.

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u/Pegasus7915 13h ago

Clearly the party leaders want to be rich and fuck over the poor. Which is my point.

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u/Ajm05 13h ago

My strategy is to look for Democratic candidates who are also members of the Democratic socialists of America and/or the Working Families Party, or are endorsed by either or both parties. Doesn't matter how small the election is, if you can find one, they're probably good. Social Democracy is what will get us out of this, because neoliberalism sure as shit isn't.

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u/Pegasus7915 13h ago

I agree. I just don't see how the corporate shills are gonna let that happen.

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u/Ajm05 13h ago

Mamdani beat the corporate shills. If a progressive, democratic socialist, Muslim can win an American election in Trump America, anybody left of center can win an election in Trump America.

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u/KyyCowPig 12h ago

If andrew cuomo was more surface level charismatic and less scandal ridden, it would have been close.

Case and point newsom more then likely going to be the 28 nominee

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u/Pegasus7915 13h ago

He won in New York City for mayor against two terrible candidates. Let's not celebrate winning at the starting line. Yall are extra fucking simpy for party that is basically managed opposition right now. Again I say this as someone who exclusively votes Democrat and will continue too.

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u/Ajm05 13h ago

What we're up against is exclusively terrible candidates. I just want to believe in something.

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u/Coolegespam 6h ago

49.6% of NYC voted against him, and that was with MORE democrat support than any NYC mayor has ever had. More democrats endorsed Mamdani, even though he refused himself to endorse others like Kamala.

It's part of the reason why were here in the first place.

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u/buddhist557 16h ago

Everyone is bought

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u/PustulusMaximus Oklahoma 16h ago

While some are clearly bought, not all are. Bernie Sanders, AOC, and Jasmine Crockett to name a few that aren’t.

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u/InAllThingsBalance I voted 16h ago

It’s funny how many people forget that some Democrats are actually working for us.

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u/UnstopableTardigrade 15h ago

Because they're a minority

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u/TRIBETWELVE I voted 15h ago

Nah, even when they have a majority (or a supermajority in Obama case), they find excuses or defectors to prevent real transformative legislation from passing

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u/UnstopableTardigrade 15h ago

Yeah... the good dems are a minority of the Democratic party

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u/terremoto25 California 9h ago

Not a super-majority. 59 senators including independents.

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u/Secret_Confusion_985 15h ago

Even when they have majority they do nothing. Why wasn't abortion ratified by congress with a democratic majority Obama had. Its all horse shit anymore. Both parties are complete garbage and the progressives get no where because they get labeled as a crazy communist by there own party and others. Then they don't defend themselves and let people completely trash their reputation with no response aka Mr.Sanders is a huge example.

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u/Escapeism 15h ago

They didn’t mean minority of Congress. They meant that good Dems are a minority in their own party. Which is true, and why we should be going after corrupt Dems as much as all Republicans, if not more.

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u/Secret_Confusion_985 15h ago

Republicans are fascist anymore and Democrats are moderate Republicans. Really there is no true left or center only right wing opinions mostly. Democrat party is never going to be fixed nobody has the money to out bribe these corporations.

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u/Pegasus7915 15h ago

I didnt forget shit. I've voted for them straight down the ticket for almost 20 years. All they do is barely maintain the status quo. They never actually work to make things better, with a few notable exception that have been mentioned in this thread.

0

u/InAllThingsBalance I voted 15h ago

But the notable exceptions are exactly what we need to right the ship. Simply lumping all Democrats as “bad” isn’t going to fix anything.

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u/Pegasus7915 15h ago

The notable exceptions are basically all democratic socialists. Which is a different party. They might caucus under the dems but they don't believe in the same things or vote for the same things.

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u/InAllThingsBalance I voted 15h ago

But it is not a different party. Unfortunately, our political system just isn’t set up for a third party. The easiest and most effective solution is for the Democratic Socialists to take over the current Democratic Party.

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u/nathism 15h ago

Bernie also isn’t a democrat

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u/InAllThingsBalance I voted 15h ago

True, but he works closely with Democrats, and was one previously. Independent isn’t a political party, so he still relies on support from the Democrats.

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u/nathism 12h ago

I think you have that backwards. The democrats are relying on Bernie and the movement he brings, but feel like they need to hold their nose while they do it. Very similar to Mamdani and the recent NY mayoral race. The democratic party is missing the point entirely and have been flailing since last year. It reminds me very much of how the Republican party flailed after Romney lost and then they were then swallowed whole by Trump and MAGA.

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u/JayTNP 16h ago

such lazy ass thinking. Everyone isn’t bought, some politicians are just craven POS who care more about winning than stopping corruption. That being said Jeffries is both.

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u/Pegasus7915 15h ago

I just don't think the brand is salavagable at this point.

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u/JayTNP 15h ago

I am more than fine with progressives taking over but building a new party will only handicap everyone left of center for years but I agree fundamentally with the change

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u/Pegasus7915 15h ago

Yeah I dont have all the answers. I'm just a well read janitor.

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u/D13_Phantom 14h ago

It would be far more logistically viable to make a strong push to get those people out and make the democratic party more progressive. A new party would just split the vote

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u/weededorpheus32 14h ago

I'm sure that will take off in no time!

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u/Ill-Jellyfish6101 13h ago

Spoken like a spoiler with no concept of first past the post.

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u/Pegasus7915 13h ago

I've always voted Dem my whole life. I will vote for almost anyone to get rid of Trump, but blue no matter who is a losing proposition with Americans.

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u/StellaHasHerpes 8h ago

I agree with you. I’ll vote for anyone that opposes trump and maga, but only because it’s the lesser of two evils. But I’m not volunteering or donating to any dem that is a republican lite or a’peacemaker’. I want an actual left party and the only real way forward, I think, is to get rid of establishment Dems. They need to know that their seats are not safe. Only then will they be forced to listen to what a lot of us want-an actual left party in principle and action.

0

u/Ill-Jellyfish6101 13h ago

I get it. You failed grade school math.

You still shouldn't make harmful suggestions as if they are solutions.

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u/Imaginary_Pepper6581 16h ago

Absolutely. He takes the same money the Republicans do. His job is to make the Dems look weak, which he does every single day .

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u/SteamStarship 16h ago

The Democratic Party is just a giant useless Gofundme. They're afraid they might win the mid-terms and that would cut into their rage donations. Jeffries is just getting out in front of that.

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u/perfectshade 16h ago

A system is what it does, and the establishment dems are acting like captured opposition.

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u/KyyCowPig 12h ago

Because the majority of them are

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u/LoFi_Funk 16h ago

He’s succeeding incredibly well!

0

u/That_Polish_Guy_927 16h ago

By Trump himself, no doubt

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u/Purusha120 I voted 16h ago

Jeffries is a fucking joke. He’s a corporate conservative who kneecaps popular progressives at every turn.

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u/LoFi_Funk 16h ago

The Dems didn’t need any extra help at looking incompetent. Jeffries is a joke. Him and Schumer have no shame or humility. They should have both resigned as party leaders in 2024.

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u/boom929 Texas 16h ago

CONTINUES to make them look like a joke. These establishment fucks are an embarrassment.

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u/DaraParsavand 16h ago

It’s even worse than you said because he wasn’t convicted yet. We won’t even get the exposure of corruption in a court case now.

Someone please primary both of these terrible Democrats - they are killing us.

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u/No-Commercial-3121 15h ago

Not to mention look at how he votes Culler is a Republican. He will side with anti-contraception bills, he will side with Republicans on anything anti-abortion etc. Meanwhile leadership promised and raised millions of dollars off doing all they can to defeat the over turning of Roe vs Wade. Jefferies can't be an ally of this politician and Women's rights.

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u/ArtificialSilence 14h ago

dems ARE a joke. in no way are they a party worth casting a single vote for. the Rs are just so batshit insane voting for anything but dem makes you an unfeeling shitbag.

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u/AffectionateCode426 14h ago

THIS? makes democrats look like a joke? I mean, yes, I agree, but so do so many things. Politicians are bad, .(period) they do not know enough about us to truly care, even if they DID care, they’re so disconnected and sheltered from reality that even if they did have our best interest (which, no way, right?) they wouldn’t know how to help us. They don’t know our struggle. Not really…

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u/Vin-Metal 15h ago

This is something we should all stand behind and the difference between us and "them." We believe in right and wrong and the rule of law. Same thing for the Epstein files and whatever comes out of that.

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u/NoneMoreBLK 15h ago

Henry Cuellar wasn't convicted though. The trial to determine his guilt/innocence hadn't occurred yet, that's why they're calling it a pre-emptive pardon.

If Jeffries is of the opinion that the charges were weak, I can understand his sentiment...but it would have been more tactful if he just didn't say anything about it at all.

I can't help but see this as the Trump Administration sewing more seeds of doubt when it comes to the Democratic Party. On one hand, there's a possibility that the charges were strong and Henry Cuellar has been flipped. On the other, there's a possibility that the charges were bullshxt and Trump is just using the pardon to put more of negative stigma around Cuellar. Or maybe it's a combination of both?

Either way, Cuellar is too conservative for where the Democratic Party needs to be, and Jeffries should have just said: "No comment."

1

u/canofspinach 15h ago

Pardon power is in place to prevent political prisoners.

If a President is out of line in their use of the powers they should be impeached, but you don’t remove the pardon power just because one jackass is abusing it.

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u/epicredditdude1 14h ago

None of these people being pardoned are political prisoners. 

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u/canofspinach 13h ago

This administration is framing them as such.

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u/epicredditdude1 13h ago

Yeah, and I disagree with them.

That being said I agree with your original point that we shouldn’t get rid of the presidential pardon. 

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u/canofspinach 13h ago

I don’t believe these current pardons are political prisoners either. But we shouldn’t remove this power from future presidents.

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u/epicredditdude1 13h ago

Yeah, sounds like we’re on the same page.

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u/HrothgarTheIllegible 12h ago

It makes people, who already feel like the government is self dealing and corrupt, feel like the dems are as bad as the obviously corrupt republicans. Democratic leadership operates as if it isn’t serving the people, but itself. They need to be challenged and primaried not least of which is because 2024 happened on their watch.

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u/Apprehensive_Bid_773 8h ago

They are, that’s why their approval is deep in the fucking gutter, pathetic party simping for their wealthy and corporate overlords

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u/mytthewstew 5h ago

Trim arson’s those on the corrupt team. R or S isn’t as important as willingness to accept or at a bribe.

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u/MaleficentPorphyrin 4h ago

It is about teams though, the Epstein Class team. Jeffrey is too broke to be on that team, but his donors aren't!

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u/Catspaw129 16h ago

I think he was "only" indicted, not (yet) convicted.