Representative Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) came to the defense of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Sunday, after President Donald Trump demanded that Jeffries be impeached for his criticism of the Supreme Court's recent Voting Rights Act decision.
Last Wednesday, the high court's conservative majority ruled 6-3 to strike down Louisiana's second majority-Black congressional district, a move Democrats have condemned as a blow to minority voting power. Jeffries called the ruling "illegitimate" and said it was "designed to undermine the ability of communities of color" to elect their preferred candidates.
Trump responded on Truth Social, writing: "Hakeem Jeffries, a Low IQ individual, said our Supreme Court is 'illegitimate.' After saying such a thing, isn't he subject to Impeachment? I got impeached for A PERFECT PHONE CALL. Where are you Republicans? Why not get it started? They'll be doing this to me!"
Appearing on MS Now's The Weekend, Espaillat dismissed Trump's call as a distraction from the president's own political troubles. "He is a president that's drowning in his dismal poll numbers and is hanging on for dear life, trying to finger-point and try to discredit a member of Congress who clearly is rising, who clearly has the support of his peers, and who I think called it like it was," Espaillat said.
Espaillat, who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, predicted that Trump's attacks on Jeffries would continue as his approval ratings slide. "And so, you'll hear more from him as his polls continue to drop, as they are right now," he added.
Jeffries responded to Trump's post on X with the phrase "Jeffries Derangement Syndrome," a twist on the term "Trump Derangement Syndrome" that the president has long used to dismiss his critics.
The Supreme Court's ruling has drawn sharp criticism from civil rights groups. The NAACP called it a "devastating blow" to the Voting Rights Act, and Democrats argue it will severely undermine election fairness. The decision comes as the Court's legitimacy remains a flashpoint in national politics, with progressives pushing for structural reforms such as expanding the bench—a strategy that remains deeply divisive even within the Democratic Party, as our analysis of Democrats' Supreme Court strategy has detailed.
Trump's call for Jeffries's impeachment is the latest in a series of escalating attacks on Democratic leaders. The president has also targeted former Obama adviser Van Jones, labeling him a "dictator" after their partnership on criminal justice reform soured, as we reported. Meanwhile, the dollar has weakened sharply since Trump's return to office, quietly squeezing American households—a trend that may further erode his political standing.
Jeffries has not directly responded to the impeachment threat beyond his social media post, but his allies in the House are rallying behind him. The episode underscores the deepening partisan divide over the judiciary and the ongoing battle over voting rights ahead of the 2026 midterms.
