Sean Spicer questions Ro Khanna on whether Hakeem Jeffries can lead

Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer questioned Democratic California Rep. Ro Khanna Friday about whether House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is a formidable leader for House Democrats.

Democrats received backlash for how they behaved during President Donald Trump’s Tuesday congressional address as they protested and rarely stood — even when the president honored Americans who had lost family members or faced illness. For instance, the family of the late Laken Riley, the 22-year-old woman murdered by an illegal immigrant while on a run at the University of Georgia, was a guest in attendance. Trump also honored D.J. Daniel, a 13-year-old boy with cancer, by making him an honorary Secret Service agent during the speech.

Pollster Frank Luntz asserted viewers of the speech detested how the Democrats behaved, saying they viewed it as “performance art” and “a bad form of opposition.”

Spicer, on “The Morning Meeting,” cited an analysis that some Democrats were angry at the leadership for enabling such behavior to occur, asking Khanna if Jeffries is capable of controlling his caucus.

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“There’s a lot of talk in the political trades about the leadership of the Democratic Party, whether it’s Hakeem Jeffries, [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer or whomever,” Spicer said. “And it was sort of interesting. One of the analyses was like people were getting upset in your caucus about the smaller group that took attention away. They were upset with them, but they were almost equally upset with the leadership that allowed it to happen.”

“And so I guess my question to you is, do you think that there’s a lack of strong leadership?” he asked. “Back in the [former House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi days, you can say what you will about Nancy Pelosi, but she governed with an iron fist. And I don’t get that sense that the rank and file in the Democratic caucus are looking at Hakeem Jeffries or [House Minority Whip] Katherine Clark and saying, ‘Guys, we can’t cross them.’”

Jeffries had asked Democrats not to cause distractions during Trump’s speech and advised his colleagues to be a “strong, determined and dignified Democratic presence in the chamber,” according to a letter obtained by Axios.

“Well, I think Hakeem’s success in the last term, the last cycle, was he kind of let Democrats find their own voice. He didn’t govern with an iron fist … He was very well-liked,” Khanna said. “I still think he is very well-liked in the caucus, across the caucus. But the challenge is now, with Trump, he really is the leader.”

Khanna said prominent Democratic governors are currently “not the leaders” of the party, saying “the leader of the Democratic Party are our Congressional leadership. And I have a lot of respect for Chuck Schumer as a legislator. But in terms of a younger, dynamic voice, that’s Hakeem.”

“But is he strong?” Spicer asked Khanna. “I mean, I guess the question is, you said he’s well-liked, and I’m sure he is, but there’s a difference.”

Spicer then said there was a Politico piece that included reporting that some of Khanna’s caucus was agitated by an “outburst” during Trump’s speech, ostensibly referring to Democratic Texas Rep. Al Green, who disrupted the address in its first minutes and was kicked out of the chamber as a result.

“A Pelosi would have never let that happen,” Spicer said.

“I’m not sure Pelosi could have stopped every single member from what they were going to say, but a Pelosi may have made it clearer what our guidelines were,” Khanna responded. “And I think next time, at least my recommendation to leadership will be to send an escort committee, make it clear that we should stand, that we will stand for the president, we’ll stand for the first lady, we’re going to stand for stories in the gallery, which from common sense, if it feels like you’re choking up or you’re feeling emotional about something, stand up.”

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