Mike Johnson Says Jared Kushner 'Hedges Bets' Amid Reported Hakeem Jeffries Meeting

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Jared Kushner "hedges bets" when asked Sunday about a reported private meeting between Kushner and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries that has sparked debate in both parties. The Louisiana Republican made the remark during an interview on Fox News' The Sunday Briefing after host Peter Doocy referenced a New York Times report that Jeffries, a New York Democrat, and Kushner recently met privately and discussed potential areas of common ground. "I heard about it the first time this morning," Johnson said. "I know Jared is a smart guy and he hedges bets, but I'm telling you what, you better not bet against the House Republicans." The speaker added that he believes Republicans will retain control of the House despite expectations that Democrats could reclaim the chamber in November's midterm elections.

The reported meeting comes as Democrats are increasingly favored to win back the House in November, according to recent polling, which would likely make Jeffries speaker. The RealClear Polling Generic Congressional vote recently gave Democrats a 6-point edge. Kalshi and Polymarket gave the party an 86-84 percent chance of taking the House, but Republicans still hold a 56-54 percent chance of keeping the Senate.

The Times reported Sunday that Jeffries and Kushner recently met in New York City and discussed several issues that could potentially attract bipartisan interest. According to the report, topics included housing, immigration and the cost of living. Kushner also reportedly suggested that Jeffries meet with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. Neither Jeffries nor Kushner publicly commented on the meeting, according to the Times.

The reported meeting drew criticism from some Democrats and Trump critics. Former Obama aide Tommy Vietor wrote on X on Sunday morning that Jeffries should only work with Kushner when seeking "documents and subpoenas," while former GOP Representative Adam Kinzinger, a staunch Trump critic, wrote on X, "Make this make sense," and later said he believed the Trump administration may have intentionally leaked news of the meeting.

Others took a more measured approach. Appearing on NBC News' Meet the Press, Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, said on Sunday that he supports people meeting to discuss ideas but suggested any judgment should depend on what comes of those conversations. "I'm in favor of people meeting with whoever they want to discuss ideas," Van Hollen said. "But it's one thing to have a meeting. It's another thing to see something real come out of that."