Rep. Hakeem Jeffries Rejects GOP ‘Election Denier’ Claims, Says He Supported Trump’s 2016 Certification

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) holds a news conference after he was elected leader of the 118th Congress by the House Democratic caucus at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center in Washington on Nov. 30, 2022. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Sunday addressed claims by Republican lawmakers that he branded the 2016 election “illegitimate” and called former President Donald Trump a “fake president.”

House Democrats on Nov. 30 voted for Jeffries to succeed Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as the party’s top leader in the lower chamber.