(NewsNation) — With President Donald Trump back in the White House and Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress, U.S. Rep and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is poised to take on an interesting role with Democrats moving forward.
Jeffries, of New York, recently came within a few votes of becoming speaker of the House before Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, recaptured the seat. However, as Trump begins his second stint as president after being sworn in Monday, Jeffries has become his party’s main attraction, Geraldo Rivera believes.
“He is the real future of the Democratic Party,” Rivera told NewsNation.
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Rivera said although Jeffries is a racial minority, “he’s definitely not an affirmative action case.” Instead, Rivera described the New York Democrat as a “very effective generational leader.” Rivera said that Democrats will only continue to see their popularity plummet should they become the “party of no” when it comes to dealing with Trump.
Rivera said that unless Democrats are prepared to offer “much more robust” alternatives to legislation being pushed by Trump, the party risks further damage. That’s where Jeffries comes into play, Rivera said, as the “most vibrant and viable” Democrat in Washington.
Rather than Democrats putting up resistance to Trump’s policies, Jeffries can, Rivera said, lead a young band of Democrats in forging a new way forward rather than continuing on a progressive path Democrats had traveled.
“I think woke or anything DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) — forget about it,” Rivera said Monday, adding, “I’d like to see affirmative action in the real sense rather than the political sense.”
