Trump calls for Jeffries to be charged with ‘inciting violence’ in social media post

President Donald Trump pushed for Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to be charged with “INCITING VIOLENCE” on Thursday, his latest call to go after Democratic opponents in the legal arena.

“The Radical Left Democrats actually want to Destroy our Country,” he wrote on Truth Social, alongside an image of Jeffries gesturing to a “maximum warfare” sign and another image from the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which took place three days after the photo of Jeffries was taken.

Republicans have blamed Democrats for escalating violent rhetoric in the wake of the shooting at the dinner. Trump had previously faced two assassination attempts, including one in Butler, Pennsylvania, during the 2024 election that left him with a wound to his ear.

Jeffries, who unveiled the “maximum warfare” campaign — a redistricting initiative — after Democrats passed a 10-1 redraw in Virginia last month, in particular has drawn Trump’s ire. Trump called the seven-term lawmaker “Hakeem 'Low IQ' Jeffries” on Thursday.

When asked for comment, Jeffries' office referred POLITICO to a post from the minority leader on X on Thursday.

“The Knicks are up 2-0 and I have to wake up to another deranged rant from this guy,” he wrote. “Gas prices are sky high, grocery bills are surging and families can't catch a break. Democrats are about to take back the House and you're losing your mind. Where's the luv?”

But Jeffries is far from the only high-profile Democrat Trump has pushed to prosecute in recent months.

The president accused six Democrats — including battleground Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) of “sedition” last November after they made a video urging service members to disobey illegal orders. Democrats filed police complaints after Trump called for them to be arrested and even hanged.

A grand jury in February rejected D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s effort to indict the six lawmakers.

Last September, Trump urged then-Attorney General Pam Bondi to move faster in charging several of his longtime political opponents, including Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

“We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” he wrote on Truth Social. “They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”

James was indicted just weeks later, but the charges were later dropped.