A top Democrat leader put the ladies of The Views’s remarks to bed after they suggested that “racism” and “misogyny” cost Vice President Kamala Harris the election.
House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) pushed back against claims that President-elect Donald Trump won over voters because of his stance on race and gender. Instead, he argued that the incoming president won because he promised to fix the nation’s economy.
Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin asked Jeffries what lessons the Democratic Party was taking away from their loss this election season, with the panel questioning why a “convicted felon resonates more with Americans than a hyper-qualified woman of color.
Jeffries, however, dismissed the progressive panel’s accusations and admitted that the health of the economy matters more to Americans than the color of someone’s skin.
“I think the most important lesson to be drawn from the election is that the American people want us to work on the high cost of living and make sure that there can be a real path forward for working-class Americans, middle-class Americans, everyone who aspires to be part of the middle class to enjoy, you know, those promises, that basic contract between everyday Americans and the country,” he said.
Jeffries suggested that the American dream is too far out of reach under the current Biden-Harris Administration. He stated that families are no longer able to provide for their families despite having a job that offers comfortable wages, arguing that it shouldn’t be a Democratic or Republican issue but an American issue.
“That basic contract between everyday Americans and the country, which is that if you work hard and play by the rules, you should be able to provide a comfortable living for yourself for your family, purchase a home, educate your children, have access to health care, go on vacation every now and then and one day be able to retire with grace and dignity,” he continued, pointing out that none of that is within reach for Americans anymore.
However, co-host Sunny Hostin refused to believe that Trump won because of his America-first promises. She pressed Jeffries, asking if he believed sexism and racism played a role in Harris’ loss.
Jeffries, though, refused to take the bait.
He doubled down on his previous remarks, saying that the economy was the driving factor behind the president-elect’s victory.