House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, left, pledged to fight President Donald Trump's agenda. (Getty Images)
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House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., immediately demanded that Jeffries apologize.
"House Minority Leader [Jeffries] should promptly apologize for his use of inflammatory and extreme rhetoric," Emmer wrote on X. "President Trump and the Republicans are focused on uniting the country; Jeffries needs to stop trying to divide it."
A senior White House official told Fox News, "Hakeem Jeffries must apologize for this disgraceful call to violence."
Jeffries spokesperson Christie Stephenson told Fox News Digital, "The notion that Leader Jeffries supports violence is laughable. Republicans are the party that pardons violent felons who assault police officers. Democrats are the party of John Lewis and the right to petition the government peacefully."
She also referred to the comments as promoting "nonviolent protest" on X.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries criticized President Donald Trump's federal funding freeze and handling of the Washington, D.C., aircraft collision. (Donald Trump 2024 campaign)
The White House later clarified the memo to mean funding going toward progressive causes that Trump had explicitly blocked through executive orders.
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Nevertheless, it was still blocked by a federal judge, and hours later, the memo was rescinded.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the OMB memo was rescinded in light of the court order but clarified that funding blocks set up by Trump’s executive orders were still in effect.
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hakeem-jeffries-pledges-democrats-fight-trump-agenda-in-streets