[On the Ground] Jeffries, Johnson Spar Over House Control: "Reckoning for Trump" vs. "Political Retribution" [U.S. Midterm Elections]

Democratic House Minority Leader: "Lawler Is Trump's Puppet"

Lashes Out Over Tariffs and Iran; Urges Early Voting

GOP House Speaker: "Democratic Victory Would Mean Political Retribution"

Leaders of Both Parties Campaign Three Days Apart

"What we need now is someone who puts local residents first, not Donald Trump or his extreme MAGA (Make America Great Again) policies."

On Oct. 24 (local time), Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries made the remarks in Peekskill, New York, while campaigning for Democratic candidate Kate Conley, who is running for the 17th Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was responding to The Asia Business Daily's question about how he could change the minds of voters who supported Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election but chose a Republican in the House race.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries campaigns for candidate Kate Conley during a visit to New York's 17th Congressional District, a highly competitive race, on the 24th (local time). New York, U.S. = Correspondent Hwang Yunju

Jeffries said he would "do everything possible to persuade voters and get every voter to the polls," emphasizing that "we take nothing for granted."

New York's 17th Congressional District is a split-ticket district where voters supported Harris in the 2024 presidential election but chose Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in the House race. With the two parties' candidates locked in a tight race in this midterm election, the district is seen as a key target for Democrats seeking to retake the House majority.

Jeffries declared, "This election is not just an election; it is a day of reckoning," adding, "We will drive out the extreme MAGA forces." He called Rep. Lawler "President Trump's puppet" and criticized him for "repeatedly voting in favor of President Trump's tariff policies, which have added thousands of dollars a year to the cost of living for ordinary Americans."

Jeffries also said Democrats would hold the Trump Administration accountable if they retake the House majority. "Congress must provide checks and balances on a president and administration that are out of control," he said, emphasizing, "From the first day of the new Congress, we will hold accountable those who have harmed the American people and engaged in corruption."

Jeffries said Democrats would step up efforts to hold senior Trump Administration officials accountable if they win the House majority. "Even when we were in the minority, we got Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem out," he said. "When we become the majority, we will get Pete Hegseth out, too."

Jeffries also stressed the need for health insurance reform. "High-quality, affordable health care should not be a privilege reserved for the wealthy and privileged," he said. "It should be a right enjoyed by all Americans."

House Speaker Johnson: "If Democrats win, Trump will seek political retribution"

"This is a pivotal moment that will determine America's fate. This election is for all of America, not just New York."

Three days later, on Oct. 27, House Speaker Mike Johnson visited Orangeburg in the same congressional district and made the remarks at a news conference with incumbent Rep. Mike Lawler.

Johnson warned, "If Democrats take control of the House, they will spend every waking moment over the next two years investigating the president, his Cabinet, and business and industry leaders," adding, "That would be political retribution."

He went on to claim, "This election is a contest between common sense and madness," and that "if Democrats take control of the House, they will try to reopen the border and repeal tax cuts."

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson greets voters during a visit to New York's 17th Congressional District on the 27th (local time) to support incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Lawler. New York, U.S. = Correspondent Hwang Yunju

When The Asia Business Daily asked Rep. Lawler whether the results of the tax cuts would help him retain support from moderate voters who backed him in 2024, Lawler responded, and Speaker Johnson also offered additional remarks.

Johnson said, "The tax-cut bill is for low- and middle-income people," and claimed that tax incentives for small businesses' capital investments in equipment and research and development had helped create jobs.

He added, "The conditions are in place for the U.S. economy to take off like a rocket," and said, "I believe that will happen once the Strait of Hormuz is reopened."

House Speaker Johnson also expressed strong skepticism about opinion polls showing Democrats with a strong chance of retaking the House. "The polls are wrong. They're trying to suppress Republican supporters' turnout and discourage them from voting," he said. "Don't believe the polls."

He also said Republicans would respect the election results even if they lost their House majority. Asked whether he would ensure a peaceful transfer of power next January if Democrats won, Johnson replied, "Of course. We will follow the Constitution."

He said, "We may not like some election results, but that's our system," adding that "it would be absurd to claim otherwise."

Even so, he predicted a Republican victory, saying, "There will be no actual transfer of power because Republicans will retain the majority."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.