In a spectacularly tone-deaf moment on the steps of the Capitol, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) attempted to cloak a manufactured “sit-in” protest with the heavy garb of Civil War-era rhetoric, likening Democrats to “patriots” and painting Republicans as “traitors.” The stunt, clearly choreographed to mimic grassroots spontaneity, was a bizarre display of political theater — and a historical blunder of staggering proportions.
Initially flanked by Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ/Sparta) and later joined by a smattering of Democratic colleagues, Jeffries invoked a quote attributed to Ulysses S. Grant, the Republican general who led the Union to victory against the Confederate South — which, of course, was dominated by the Democratic Party at the time.
Gov. Pritzker incites violence against Trump supporters by telling the left to take over the streets so “Republicans cannot have peace.”pic.twitter.com/fVoU84S7ug
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 28, 2025
“There are but two parties in America right now — Patriots and traitors,” Jeffries intoned dramatically, recycling Grant’s words from 1861, apparently oblivious to the historical irony. In trying to label modern Republicans as “traitors,” Jeffries borrowed language from a Republican hero who fought against the very Democrats whose ideological ancestors defended slavery.
The entire affair smacked of political desperation. Jeffries’ performance — far from inspiring — seemed like a deliberate attempt to reignite divisive rhetoric at a time when the nation should be deescalating political tensions, especially following multiple assassination attempts against President Trump. The calls for civility and unity, briefly fashionable among Democrats when convenient, have once again been abandoned in favor of reckless escalation.
“Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption.
But I am now.”
— Governor JB Pritzkerpic.twitter.com/pgt9X8DfdW
— Micah Erfan (@micah_erfan) April 28, 2025
Unsurprisingly, Americans watching this circus unfold on social media weren’t buying it. Critics on X (formerly Twitter) clapped back hard, calling out the stunning projection of Jeffries’ accusations.
“Hakeem Jeffries isn’t wrong,” one commenter quipped, “he’s just confused about which of these two parties he and his ilk belong to.” Others pointed out the glaring hypocrisy, noting the Democrats’ active role in undermining U.S. foreign policy, enabling border chaos, and selectively prosecuting political opponents.
This isn’t Jeffries’ first foray into incendiary rhetoric. Just days after President Trump’s 2017 inauguration, he vowed to “fight” Trump’s agenda “in the streets” — language far more inflammatory than anything he accuses others of today.
