President Trump had some surprisingly warm words for one of his frequent political targets on Friday, calling House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries “a nice guy” and suggesting the two of them could actually work well together, according to a report from the New York Daily News. In the same interview, Trump also raised the possibility that Republicans could lose control of the House in the midterms, pointing to frustration among GOP voters.
Speaking with Punchbowl News, Trump brushed aside the history of insults he and Jeffries have traded, saying he believed he could actually do business with the Brooklyn lawmaker, who would be positioned to become Speaker of the House if Democrats manage to win back the chamber this fall.
“People are harsh on me. I’m harsh on them. That’s part of the world,” Trump said. “I probably get along with him very well.”
Nobody directly asked Trump about the possibility of Jeffries becoming Speaker, but his remarks hint that he’s already picturing the New York Democrat holding significantly more power down the line, something that would only happen if Democrats flip the House.
A Long History Of Attacks
This is a notable shift from how Trump has talked about Jeffries in the past. He has previously referred to him as a “low IQ thug” and claimed he suffers from “Trump derangement syndrome.” At one point, Trump even shared a fake video showing Jeffries and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer dressed as members of a Mexican mariachi band, a jab aimed at their opposition to his mass deportation efforts targeting undocumented immigrants.
Trump Doesn’t Spare His Own Party
Trump wasn’t exactly generous toward his fellow Republicans in Congress either. He acknowledged that conservative voters are frustrated with GOP lawmakers for not fully delivering on his agenda, and he suggested that frustration could keep some of them from showing up to vote in the midterms, especially since his own name won’t be on the ballot.
“The question is will they vote because a lot of them are very angry at Republicans,” Trump said. “They’re angry at Republicans but they’re not angry at me.”
He also stopped short of endorsing Senate Majority Leader John Thune for another term in that role, even if Republicans manage to hold onto the Senate. Trump pointed to Thune’s failure to push through his SAVE America Act, which would have introduced new voting restrictions, and noted that Thune won’t move to end the filibuster either.
What Experts Are Predicting
Most political analysts currently expect Democrats to retake the House, largely because the party controlling the White House tends to lose ground in midterm elections historically. Flipping the Senate would be a much steeper climb for Democrats, since it would require winning four seats currently held by Republicans, including some in traditionally red states like Alaska, Ohio, Texas and Iowa.
Adding to the pressure, Trump’s own approval ratings are sitting at historically low levels, with polling averages showing fewer than 40% of American voters approve of the job he’s doing.