House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has just thrown his weight behind democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor, a move that’s got conservatives shaking their heads.
Breitbart reported that after months of waffling and internal party drama, Jeffries finally made the endorsement on Friday, October 24, 2025, signaling a reluctant nod to the leftward drift of his party amidst fierce Republican backlash and Democratic division.
Let’s rewind a bit to early summer, when tensions were already simmering within the Democratic ranks. Back in July 2025, Jeffries took to X to defend Mamdani, tweeting, “Stop lying about Assemblyman Mamdani,” insisting he’s neither extreme nor unhinged.
But conservatives might argue this defense only highlights how far the party has strayed from its centrist roots.
Also in July, Jeffries appeared on MSNBC, waxing poetic about inclusivity with, “the bigger the tent, the more likely it is that we can reach the greatest number of Americans.” Noble words, sure, but many on the right see this as code for capitulating to progressive agendas that alienate everyday workers.
By August 2025, a Gallup poll revealed a troubling trend for traditionalists—66% of Democrats viewed socialism favorably, compared to just 42% for capitalism. That’s a statistic that makes fiscal conservatives wince, wondering if the party of JFK has lost its economic compass.
Fast forward to September 2025, and the cracks widened when Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) publicly vented frustration, suggesting socialists like Mamdani should “create their own party.” It’s a sentiment many on the right quietly applaud, seeing it as a rare moment of clarity from a Democrat.
Through much of this period, Jeffries played coy, refusing to clarify his stance on Mamdani, which sowed weeks of confusion among party loyalists.
An Axios survey, conducted between September 24 and October 15, 2025, painted a grim picture—only 24 of 113 Democratic House hopefuls firmly backed Jeffries for party leader, while 57 dodged the question and 20 outright rejected him.
Some of those surveyed candidates pointed to Jeffries’ initial reluctance to endorse Mamdani as a sticking point, a hesitation that conservatives might call a brief flicker of common sense. But for Democrats, it was a leadership vacuum at a critical juncture.
By early October, the pressure was mounting, and Jeffries’ silence became a louder statement than any speech. Republicans watched with popcorn in hand, knowing this indecision only deepened the Democratic disarray.
On the morning of October 24, 2025, C-SPAN cameras caught Jeffries fielding a reporter’s question about his non-endorsement, to which he dodged with a cryptic response.
Hours later, though, he flipped the script and officially backed Mamdani, a decision that felt less like conviction and more like surrender to party pressure.
Jeffries tried to frame it positively, stating, “Zohran Mamdani has relentlessly focused on addressing the affordability crisis and explicitly committed to being a mayor for all New Yorkers.” But skeptics on the right might ask—affordability through what, more government handouts?
Republicans wasted no time pouncing on the endorsement, with National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Mike Marinella declaring, “So-called ‘Leader’ Hakeem Jeffries has officially surrendered to Zohran Mamdani and the socialist mob now running the Democrat Party.” It’s a sharp jab, and one that resonates with conservatives who see this as a dangerous leftward lurch.
Marinella didn’t stop there, adding that this “far-left takeover has torched Democrats’ hopes of retaking the House and turned their agenda into pure electoral poison.” For many on the right, this isn’t just rhetoric—it’s a warning about policies that could burden taxpayers and stifle enterprise.
While Jeffries’ endorsement might paper over some Democratic divisions for now, it’s clear the ideological rift isn’t healed. Less than a quarter of the surveyed House candidates backing Jeffries as leader speaks volumes about trust within the party.