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Hakeem’s State of the Union

A sprawling conversation with the Pelosi protégé and House Democratic leader on some of the most pressing issues facing Democrats in the near and long-term: reconstituting the party after November’s crushing defeat, countenancing Trump’s screwball cabinet nominations, and what bipartisanship will actually look like over the next four years.

Hakeem Jeffries
Instead of making history, Jeffries finds himself an active participant in the intraparty debate over what Democrats got wrong last year, and whether (or rather, how much) the party needs to change to get back into power. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
John Heilemann
December 12, 2024

Hakeem Jeffries, the 54-year-old House Democratic leader, son of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and possibly the most powerful Biggie superfan in public life, has already made history. Back in 2022, he was unanimously elected to succeed Nancy Pelosi at the helm of the caucus, becoming the first Black rep to head a party in Congress, and the smart money says that, eventually, he will also become the first-ever Black speaker of the House—and heading into the November 5 elections, it appeared that he might end up in the job sooner than later.