RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 5 sourcesVeteran Democratic strategist James Carville tore into House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., on Monday over his meeting with U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner, saying Democrats of every viewpoint agree on one thing: they don't sit down with President Donald Trump 's inner circle.
The takedown came just days after news broke that Jeffries had sat down with Trump’s son-in-law to discuss housing, immigration and high living costs as possible categories of common ground, The New York Times first reported .
"Let me try to explain something," Carville said . "And Hakeem, you’re a smart guy. Let me explain something here, very, very clear. You have Democrats that have a different position on Medicare for all, whether that’s a good idea. You have Democrats that have different positions on effective policing, and there’s a whole variety of subjects of which there are some disagreements within the Democratic Party ."
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Despite the seemingly good-faith meeting, Carville told Jeffries that Democrats’ ability to find compromise does not extend across party lines.
"On one thing, on one thing, there is no disagreement," he said. "There’s unanimity. And it is simply this: in the opinion of every Democrat in the United States, progressive, moderate, middle road, left, f---, I don’t know whatever you want, we believe one thing above all."
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"These people are a pack of felons and traitors, and you do not meet with them. You do not meet with them," Carville continued.
Carville went on to offer his own suggestion for what he believes the best course of action would be for Democrats looking to see eye-to-eye with Kushner.
"We need to drag [Kushner’s] a-- before a committee and find out what backdoor-dealing, w----house s--- he's got going on with Steve Whitcomb and everybody else," Carville said. "We're not going to be nice to you. We don't like you."
Carville also added that Trump and his administration "have no idea what they’re doing," while accusing them of "making every backdoor bulls--- deal they can."
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The veteran strategist ended with a single line of advice to Jeffries: "And we don’t meet with them. Don’t meet with them."
In light of the fallout following Jeffries’ meeting with Kushner , Axia CEO Jason Mudd told Fox News Digital the biggest problem Jeffries is facing is the fact that the news of the meeting came out after it had been held.
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"Jeffries got caught being reasonable in private without being strategic in public. To be clear, this isn't about whether Kushner deserved the meeting. It's about how the meeting was handled," Mudd said. "Now Jeffries is explaining it after the leak instead of framing it before the leak. That's the real mistake. Not taking the meeting itself."
Mudd went on to acknowledge that politicians often do have to compromise with members of opposing parties, but should do so while remaining transparent with their constituents.
The public relations CEO and expert added that to mitigate the fallout, he would suggest Jeffries provide full insight into his meeting with Kushner as a way to regain trust within his party.
"If I were advising Jeffries or his camp right now, I'd tell him to stop playing defense and take control of the narrative today," Mudd said. "Say what the meeting was about, why he took it, and what came of it, in his own words. Silence and vague statements read as guilt even when there's nothing to hide, and right now the story is being written for him and without him."
Fox News Digital reached out to Jeffries, Kushner and the White House for comment.
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