Politics

‘Clean Up Your Mess’: Hakeem Jeffries Defends Maxine Waters, Then Admits He Doesn’t Know What She Said

Virginia Kruta Associate Editor
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Democratic New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries defended Democratic California Rep. Maxine Waters at a Tuesday press conference and then added he was “not that familiar” with what Waters had said.

Jeffries fired back at House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy over a resolution to censure Waters, saying that McCarthy had “no credibility” to criticize Democrats. (RELATED: REPORT: Democrats Are Angry With Maxine Waters, Some Say They Would ‘Relish The Opportunity To Censure Her’)

“Perhaps he should sit this one out. When you think that Kevin McCarthy has the nerve to say something about anyone, when he supported the violent insurrection,” Jeffries claimed, arguing that Waters and others in the Democratic caucus supported peaceful protest.

Going on to mention Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert from Colorado, Matt Gaetz from Florida and Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia, Jeffries argued that the Republican Party was a mess and that McCarthy would do better to take care of his own house first.

“Clean up your mess, Kevin,” he said. “Sit this one out.”

Jeffries later admitted that he was not familiar with what Waters had actually said, arguing that she had clarified in later comments that she supported peaceful protests.

“To be honest, I’m not that familiar with what she said,” Jeffries continued. “I know she made clear in comments afterward that she supports peaceful protest. Dr. King supported nonviolent direct action, that is what House Democrats support.”

McCarthy claimed Monday that Waters had incited violence when she told protesters in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, to “stay on the streets” and “get more confrontational” to ensure that justice was done.

Waters also weighed in on the murder trial of Derek Chauvin — the former Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd — saying that she wanted “more than manslaughter.”

McCarthy introduced a resolution to censure Waters over her comments — a resolution which Jeffries said was “frivolous.”