House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference November 4, 2025 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
Tom Brenner/Getty Images
hide caption
Tom Brenner/Getty Images
Democrats are not yet in the majority, but the first post-election test of their ability to get things done has ended in failure.
The House has been unable to move forward with impeachment proceedings against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Eleven Democrats did not show up for the vote. According to the calculations of this vote: if these 11 had been there and if no more Republicans had presented themselves, the attempt could have gone forward.
Now, for those who want to see Hegseth impeached, it’s fair to ask why only one Republican was in favor of it, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who led the effort, especially after an election that saw the erasure of the GOP largely because of the war in Iran? The GOP still controls the floor, so a Democratic speaker could have left the vote open longer so all 11 could vote.
But it’s also fair to ask, would this have happened under Nancy Pelosi’s leadership? (Ironically, she was one of 11 people who didn’t vote to impeach Hegseth because she came back to San Francisco for a veterans event.) Or if this kind of effort is what people want in the first place.
First, on the Pelosi point: the former House Speaker and outgoing congresswoman was known for the discipline she maintained within her caucus. She knew where the votes were, who was voting, how and why – and, most importantly, she didn’t pursue her efforts without getting votes.
Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader’s heir apparent, will have the largest majority in Congress since the early 1990s. His leadership and priorities will be scrutinized and compared to those of Pelosi – and it was not a good start to this new era.
Second, whether impeachments are what people want to see: It depends on which people. Certainly, the Democratic base – and some beyond – wants the Trump administration to be held accountable.
Voters more generally also said corruption was one of the main themes of the campaign. But crossing the line between reasonable accountability and surveillance and impeachments is potentially a tightrope.
Democrats will have to balance the mandate they have been given to lower prices (sound familiar?) and end the war with the accountability from the Trump administration that many in the Democratic base want and feverishly await.
What do voters want?
A Reuters/Ipsos poll taken after the election found that 8 in 10 said Democrats should focus in the first 100 days on the cost of living, three-quarters said reducing health care costs, 7 in 10 said lowering gas prices, while 6 in 10 said ending the war in Iran and eliminating President Trump’s tariffs.
What about investigations and indictment? Just 40% said investigating the Trump administration should be a priority in these early days. But 71% of Democrats want this to be a priority for the first 100 days. Only 36% of independents say the same thing.
Nearly two-thirds said they feared that Democrats would spend too much time on investigations, which concerned half of Democrats.
When it comes specifically to pursuing impeachment of Trump, only 33% said they think it would be good for the country. On the other hand, 63% of Democrats do so. Only 30% of independents believe that it would be good for the country.
More than half also said they think Democrats should at least make an effort to work with the Trump administration. However, this only concerned 40% of Democrats.
So it will be difficult for Democratic leaders to navigate, but an important part of a president’s job is delivering messages, especially when his party doesn’t control the White House.
So what will Democrats focus on when they’re in charge?
People are going to be watching the new Democratic majority for what it’s focused on, and even with Hegseth’s effort, it was clear that many conservatives were thrilled not only with how it played out, but also that Democrats were fueling Massie’s effort.
This arguably backfired and strengthened Hegseth’s position within the administration. The White House and the Republicans rallied behind him. Although some Republicans on Capitol Hill may have reservations about Hegseth for one reason or another, and they and Vice President Vance believe the war in Iran is the main reason for the midterm losses, the Democrats’ opposition is much more unifying.
Politics is often (some would say too often) a team sport, and no group is more conditioned to donning the T-shirt and executing the playbook than the red team.
This certainly gave Republicans more of a chance to go on the offensive than talking about health care, the cost of living or war and the price of gasoline.
Democratic leaders are certainly aware of the line they have to take, but Jeffries is going to have to make some decisions. Interviewed on PBS NewsTime This week, if Democrats indict more Trump officials, he said, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” »
But it is the Speaker of the House who builds legislative bridges. He or she controls the agenda.
Jeffries, of course, also emphasized, as he has elsewhere, that affordability is a priority.
“We are committed to reducing the high cost of living across the board,” he said. “It’s housing, it’s health care, it’s groceries, it’s gas, it’s care – to make this country affordable again for everyone.”
Democrats will be tested
Democrats had a huge opportunity with majorities in the House and Senate – but balancing priorities, timing, messaging and discipline will all be major tests.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Arguably, what Democrats are focusing on will lay the groundwork for a vision of the party’s competence heading into the 2028 presidential election, and they don’t want to squander the advantages they have.
The Ipsos poll showed that Democrats have a big lead over the party that has a better plan, policy or approach on health care (42 to 23 percent), cost of living (40 to 25 percent) and the economy (37 to 30 percent).
But they must be careful. Many people aren’t convinced Democrats are focused on the issues they care about. Only 47% of respondents to the Ipsos survey answered this way, including only 40% of independents.
Only 44% say they are convinced that Democrats put the best interests of the American people ahead of their own personal interests.
So even though Democrats have the wind at their backs, whether people have confidence in their leadership remains to be seen.
Gn headline
