WASHINGTON — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries drew jeers for his public welcoming of the Mamdani-backed, democratic socialist congressional hopefuls who took down mainstream Democrats in primaries last week.The top House Democrat waited until Saturday to congratulate the Mandani-backed candidates who defeated his preferred choice in three New York congressional primaries last week.

“Congratulations to our newest members of the NYC congressional delegation,” Jeffries (D-NY) posted on X. “From public servants to union organizers to community activists, the path is different, but the work is the same. We must decisively address the affordability crisis and crush far-right extremism!”

Mayor Zohran Mamdani had backed Brad Lander, Claire Valdez, and Darializa Avila Chevalier, all of whom won their respective races. Chevalier has a controversial history on social media where she praised communism, called for abolishing prisons, sought to “literally abolish the border,” bragged about wiping her dirty hands on the American flag, and more. 

The primaries saw incumbents, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) and Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), lose. Typically, Democratic leadership backs the incumbent candidate.

Jeffries acknowledged that Mamdani through his socialist weight around in those races caused some tensions. Jeffries himself waited until the last minute to endorse Mamdani after he won the Democratic nomination during the mayoral race last year.

Last week, the Democratic boss made a point of highlighting Rep. Ritchie Torres’ (D-NY) overwhelming victory in the South Bronx and noting that “there was an outsized focus on issues connected to the Middle East” in “higher-income districts.”

Critics, particularly from the right, slammed Jeffries for embracing the democratic socialists as the Democratic Party grapples with a takeover effort from the far left. 

“Far right extremism?” Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) chided in response to Jeffries’ congratulatory post. “You are literally highlighting some of the most radical, extreme, and insane people ever elected to Congress.”

“You really are a pathetic excuse for a leader.”

Given that the three Mamdani-backed candidates have described Israel’s war against Hamas as a genocide, the Republican Jewish Coalition accused Jeffries of sending a chilling message to Jewish Democrats. 

“To Jewish Democrats: your party is telling you EXACTLY who it is,” the RJC wrote on X. “These future members of Congress, who [Jeffries] is welcoming with open arms, want to: Abolish prisons and borders. Defund the police. Downplay 9/11.”

Former State Department and National Security Council official Jamie Metzl, who described himself as a lifelong Democrat, denounced the overture to the lefty Democratic primary winners. 

“When I first read this post, I assumed it was from a spoof account. I am deeply concerned that it appears to be all too real,” Metzl bemoaned on X. “To welcome these nominees without acknowledging and criticizing their self-declared sympathies for U.S.-designated terrorist organizations, their calls to abolish the police, their stated desire to dismantle Western civilization, and their blatant anti-Americanism is to sacrifice the core principles of the Democratic Party.”

Jeffries, himself, nearly faced a primary challenge from New York City Councilman Chi Oss, who ultimately failed to get the Democratic Socialists of America’s support after Mamdani intervened. Some DSA backers chanted that Jeffries is next on the heels of their victories last week. 

But Jeffries has downplayed concerns about facing a serious primary challenge in the future.

“When you ask me a serious question, I’ll give you a serious answer,” Jeffries bristled when asked about that last week.