A closed-door meeting between the top House Democrat and Jared Kushner is drawing anger from the party's own base, who see it as a sign Democratic leaders are not on their side.

• Hakeem Jeffries met privately with Kushner and says they only discussed the cost-of-living crisis, without naming anything specific they agreed on.
• Critics point out Kushner works on Middle East policy, not domestic affordability, so the stated reason does not add up.
• Right after the meeting, Jeffries put Jared Moskowitz in charge of the House subcommittee covering the Middle East and North Africa.
• Moskowitz immediately pledged to strengthen US ties with Israel, fueling the charge that the meeting was really about Israel policy.
• Jeffries' casual, dressed-down response video was widely mocked as an attempt to look like an ordinary person after being caught.

Outlook: Expect more pressure on Jeffries from the Democratic base over Israel policy and the party's handling of affordability heading into the fight for House control.