Tensions on Capitol Hill hit a boiling point this week as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) got into a heated exchange that quickly turned personal and political.
The face-off unfolded Wednesday in the halls of Congress, moments after Jeffries wrapped up a Democratic leadership press conference. Lawler approached Jeffries and repeatedly pressed him to sign onto a GOP proposal for a one-year extension of ACA subsidies, a move Jeffries had already called a “nonstarter.”
What began as a policy debate quickly turned into a tense shouting match as reporters looked on. Jeffries accused Lawler of “making a show” to stay relevant, calling Lawler’s actions clout-chasing and performative. “You’re embarrassing yourself right now,” Jeffries said.
Jeffries to Lawler: You’re not going to talk over me because you don’t want to hear what I have to say so why don’t you just keep your mouth shut pic.twitter.com/tDz83r6tMQ
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 8, 2025
The exchange caught on video, which is now making its rounds on social media, highlights both the growing frustration among Democrats as Republicans push temporary fixes to avoid a government shutdown.
By Thursday, Jeffries was unapologetic. Speaking to CNN, he dismissed Lawler as “an irrelevant individual” and reiterated that the proposal “has no support from top House Republicans and therefore has no impact.”
But it was his later interview with The Siren that sealed the moment in pop-political culture. Reflecting on the confrontation, Jeffries offered a now-viral soundbite that perfectly captured his no-nonsense approach:
“I’m not the one. Don’t come for me unless I send for you,” Jeffries said. “Mike Lawler, who’s a complete and total fraud, was waiting outside to step to me… I think he thought he was confronting Beltway Hakeem. He saw Brooklyn Hakeem.”
🚨HOLY SHIT: Hakeem Jeffries gave his FIRST interview since his viral clash with Rep. Lawler and told us he wasn’t going to let “that fraud” get under his skin: “He thought he was confronting Beltway Hakeem, but he saw Brooklyn Hakeem.”
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) October 9, 2025
I like Brooklyn Hakeem! America does too. pic.twitter.com/p4MFKE0CZc
Jeffries said it “took a lot of restraint” to keep the argument from escalating further, joking that his team probably would’ve preferred he ignored Lawler altogether.
“But I wasn’t going to let that slide,” he added.
The altercation adds to the growing political tension surrounding the looming government shutdown and the battle over healthcare policy.
Lawler has framed his ACA proposal as a bipartisan compromise to maintain subsidies for Americans relying on Obamacare, while Jeffries and Senate Democrats argue the plan lacks long-term solutions and was crafted without their input.
