On Friday, something unusual happened in the House of Representatives. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) found himself standing in front of a cheering crowd of Republicans, all clapping and applauding. Why? Because Jeffries casually mentioned that Republican Donald Trump had won the presidential election in November.
But just when everyone thought it was all smooth sailing, Jeffries threw in a curveball. He grinned and said, “Thank you for that very generous applause. It’s OK. There are no election deniers on our side of the aisle.”
And just like that, the applause stopped. The room fell silent. The Republicans quickly sat down, while the Democrats, on the other hand, stood up and cheered even louder. It was a moment that caught everyone’s attention.
Jeffries wasn’t done yet, though. He boldly said, “One should love America when you win and when you lose. That’s the patriotic thing to do, and that’s the America that House Democrats will fight hard to preserve because we love this country.”
If you missed the moment, you can catch the awkward pause on C-SPAN.
Here’s the thing: While the applause and cheers were happening, there’s a deeper story. Right now, there are still plenty of lawmakers who continue to deny election results. Four years ago, 147 Republicans tried to overturn the 2020 election, pushing the false claim that it was “stolen” from Trump. That was right after the Capitol insurrection, an event fueled by those same lies.
And the truth is, many of these people are still in office. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), now re-elected as House Speaker, was the one who led the effort to challenge the 2020 election results. Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) even tried to convince Trump’s White House to impose martial law to prevent a peaceful transfer of power, although, when asked about it later, he joked that his only regret was misspelling “martial law” in a text.
As of 2023, more than 170 Republicans were still questioning the legitimacy of Joe Biden’s win. It’s clear that while some may applaud, not everyone is on the same page.
So, the next time you hear about this moment in the House, remember: it wasn’t just about a standing ovation. It was a clash of values, with Jeffries reminding everyone that true patriotism means accepting the outcome, win or lose.
