Hakeem Jeffries just got roasted—live, on national TV—and there’s no spinning his way out of this one.
The House Minority Leader went on CNBC’s Squawk Box thinking he could play the blame game over the government shutdown. What he didn’t expect? Getting dunked on by the host, right to his face. And now the clip is going viral—and for all the wrong reasons if you’re a Democrat.
Here’s what happened. Jeffries showed up on CNBC to push the tired Democrat narrative that Republicans are to blame for the current government shutdown. His angle? That it’s somehow the GOP’s fault for not agreeing to permanently extend Obamacare tax credits. But host Becky Quick wasn’t buying it for a second.
She hit Jeffries with a dose of reality that’s now making waves all over social media.
> “What you are asking Republicans to do right now, when they control the White House, the Senate, and the House, is effectively what the Democrats could not do when they controlled all three branches of government… Now you want the Republicans to do something you didn’t do when you were in power.”
Boom. Game over.
Jeffries stammered out a weak response, mumbling something about how Democrats “extended the Affordable Care Act tax credits in 2022 for three years.” But that’s exactly the point. They had full control of Congress and the White House and still didn’t make the credits permanent. Now that they’re out of power, they expect Republicans to clean up their mess. Typical.
Watch the brutal takedown for yourself:
? BREAKING: Hakeem Jeffries just got brutally EMBARRASSED on national television – gets CALLED OUT for his hypocrisy
“What you’re asking Republicans to do when they control the White House, Senate and House is what the DEMOCRATS could NOT do when you controlled all 3 heads of… pic.twitter.com/86d20BmmYK
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 24, 2025
This isn’t just a one-time blunder—it’s part of a bigger pattern. Democrats spent years pushing reckless spending, prioritizing illegal immigrants, and sneaking in radical policies like taxpayer-funded transgender surgeries for minors. And when they had full control of government, what did they do? They kicked the can down the road and hoped voters wouldn’t notice.
Well, voters noticed. That’s why they’re no longer in charge.
And let’s not forget why we’re even in a shutdown to begin with. The Senate failed to pass two measures to keep the government open. One of them, a common-sense GOP-backed bill, got shot down by Democrats and one so-called Republican—Rand Paul—who voted with the Left. Why? Because Democrats were more focused on protecting their pet projects than funding essential government functions.
Meanwhile, Jeffries is out here trying to shift blame like we all forgot who set this whole mess in motion. Sorry, Hakeem, but the receipts are out there—and the internet never forgets.
This whole exchange is a perfect snapshot of why Americans are fed up with Democrat leadership. They make promises, pass half-baked policies, and then try to blame everyone else when the consequences hit. No accountability. No responsibility. Just talking points and finger-pointing.
But now, thanks to sharp interviewers like Becky Quick—and the power of social media—these clowns are getting called out in real time. And it’s not pretty.
Hakeem Jeffries thought he could walk into a CNBC studio and score political points. Instead, he walked into a buzzsaw and walked out looking like a fool.
Maybe next time, he’ll bring a better excuse. But judging by this performance, don’t hold your breath.