Hakeem Jeffries

President Donald Trump said after Tuesday’s midterm drubbing he wants to “work with” Democrats. Now Hakeem Jeffries has to decide if his party will play ball. As he prepares to lead a massive House Democratic majority, perhaps the presumptive speaker's toughest call will be how to handle Trump. After years of dismissing and denigrating the president, Jeffries has to weigh varying opinions inside his caucus: Some, including incoming red-district freshmen, want to attempt collaboration, while plenty of others want total war. Trump is already testing Democrats by appointing Stephen Miller, one of their top administration boogeymen, as his new White House chief of staff — prompting a characteristically fierce reply from Jeffries denouncing Miller as a “dangerous xenophobe and reckless extremist” whose “presence in government should be eradicated like a malignant tumor.” But members close to Jeffries acknowledge he might soon have to strike a different tone as Democrats pledge to make good on their campaign promises to lower costs ahead of 2028 — or at least be seen trying. Rep. Greg Meeks of New York, a longtime confidant of the Democratic leader, said in an Election Day interview that Jeffries has “always been willing to sit down and talk and to negotiate.” “It has been the other side that has rejected us and called names … tweeting nasty things and cussing at folks and not being an individual who can respect the office of the presidency,” he continued. “Hakeem Jeffries will be that individual.” Meeks is not alone in suggesting Jeffries could enter dealmaker mode. It is one of two potential avenues House Democrats are pitching for how he should navigate Trump. The other, preferred by many progressives, involves Jeffries leading House Democrats in passing bills without compromising with the White House, then daring the president to veto them — matching the aggressive plan by Jeffries and fellow Democrats to use their new subpoena powers to investigate Trump, his administration and his allies. In the wake of Democrats’ massive midterm victory — which could secure them as many as 260 seats — Jeffries has previewed elements of both strategies. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Jeffries said Democrats have “consistently made the point that we are ready, willing, and able to find bipartisan common ground with the other side of the aisle as long as we can bring about meaningful change on the issues that matter, and that begins with decisively addressing the affordability crisis.” But that doesn’t mean there has been proactive outreach: Jeffries had not spoken with Trump as of Sunday morning, he said in an ABC News interview. A White House spokesperson, Lauren Bis, said Trump is “willing to work with anyone to continue delivering victories for hardworking Americans” but that if “Democrats choose to pursue sham investigations and radical left policies, they are choosing to work against the American people.” Jeffries tangled with Trump repeatedly as minority l