A reported private sit-down between the House Democratic leader and Trump's son-in-law has angered Democrats who want corruption investigations, not common ground — bad news for Jeffries' standing in his own party.

• Hakeem Jeffries met privately with Jared Kushner in New York, arranged through a mutual friend, and they talked about housing, immigration, and the cost of living.
• Critics on the left say Kushner should be facing subpoenas and document demands, not friendly talks, given his Gulf money ties and lack of any official government job.
• Kushner holds no formal White House role, which keeps him free of public disclosure duties while he cuts deals involving Saudi Arabia.
• Republicans are using it too — Speaker Mike Johnson brushed off the meeting while claiming the Democratic Party is now run by its socialist wing.
• A new bloc of left-wing members heading to Congress could make it much harder for Jeffries to go easy on Kushner.

Outlook: Jeffries still faces no real challenger for the top Democratic job, but pressure on him will build if Democrats take the House and he resists aggressive corruption investigations.