Agencies | Washington:
United States President Donald Trump has called for criminal charges against senior Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, accusing him of “inciting violence” through past political remarks, further intensifying political tensions in Washington.
In a post shared on social media on Thursday, Trump alleged that Jeffries’ comments about “maximum warfare” in politics contributed to a climate of hostility following a recent shooting incident linked by prosecutors to an alleged assassination attempt against the US president during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
“This lunatic, Hakeem ‘Low IQ’ Jeffries, should be charged with INCITING VIOLENCE! The Radical Left Democrats actually want to destroy our country,” Trump wrote.
The controversy centres around remarks made by Jeffries during an April 22 press conference, where he criticised Republican-led efforts at electoral redistricting, commonly known as gerrymandering.
Referring to Democratic political strategy, Jeffries had stated: “We are in an era of maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time,” while discussing legal and political battles over congressional maps in several states.
Trump supporters and several Republican leaders linked the statement to a shooting incident that occurred days later, in which an armed suspect allegedly attempted to breach a security checkpoint near the White House Correspondents’ Dinner venue.
However, Jeffries and Democratic leaders have rejected the accusation, arguing that the comments were clearly political in context and referred to electoral and legal battles rather than violence.
The Democratic leader later defended his statement and dismissed criticism from Republicans.
“You can continue to criticise me for it. I don’t give a damn about your criticism,” Jeffries said during a recent public interaction.
The episode has further deepened the growing political confrontation between Trump and senior Democratic leaders ahead of the upcoming US midterm elections.
Trump, who returned to the White House last year, has increasingly pushed for legal action against political opponents, including Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey.
Critics have accused the Trump administration of attempting to weaponise the justice system against rivals, while supporters argue that accountability must apply equally across the political spectrum.
Legal experts note that while the First Amendment of the US Constitution strongly protects free speech, American law prohibits direct threats or explicit incitement to commit violence. However, proving criminal incitement based on broad political statements remains legally difficult.
The dispute also reflects the intensifying battle over congressional district maps in the United States, with both Republicans and Democrats seeking strategic advantages ahead of future elections.
The rivalry between Trump and Jeffries has become increasingly personal in recent months, with the US president repeatedly targeting the Democratic leader in speeches and online posts as political divisions continue to sharpen across the country.
