Trump Accuses Hakeem Jeffries Of Inciting Assassination Attempt Amid ‘Maximum Warfare’ Feud

Former President Donald Trump has escalated his feud with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., by publicly accusing Jeffries of inciting the most recent assassination attempt against him. In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump demanded that Jeffries be charged with “inciting violence,” citing Jeffries’ use of the phrase “maximum warfare” in the days leading up to the incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in late April.

Trump shared images of Jeffries standing with a sign displaying “maximum warfare” alongside photos of Trump and his aide James Blair, followed by an image of alleged assassin Cole Allen storming the Secret Service checkpoint at the Washington Hilton three days later. “This lunatic, Hakeem ‘Low IQ’ Jeffries, should be charged with INCITING VIOLENCE!” Trump wrote, prompting his 12.6 million followers to consider whether Jeffries should face legal consequences.

The accusation comes as Jeffries has repeatedly defended his use of the phrase, which he said was in response to Republican efforts to gerrymander congressional districts. Jeffries pointed to an anonymous White House staffer who, in a 2025 interview with The New York Times, used similar language to threaten Democrats with aggressive redistricting tactics. “That phrase ‘maximum warfare everywhere, all the time’ came from the White House in the summer of 2025,” Jeffries said at a news conference. “Now they’re big mad. Why? Because Democrats have decided to finish it. Get lost.”

Jeffries has consistently stated that he opposes political violence and has refused to back down from his rhetoric. In a recent appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” he said lawmakers “set the most appropriate example” in their rhetoric, emphasizing that “whatever your ideological perspective is, we all love America, and we all want to make sure that this country is the best that it can possibly be.”

In response to Trump’s accusation, a spokesperson for Jeffries referred Fox News Digital to a post on X, where Jeffries labeled Trump’s comments as “another deranged rant” and shifted focus to economic concerns. “Gas prices are sky high, grocery bills are surging and families can’t catch a break,” Jeffries wrote. “Democrats are about to take back the House and you’re losing your mind.”

The online exchange follows a period of heightened tension after the April 26 assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where Cole Allen, the alleged gunman, was arrested and charged with attempted assassination of the president, among other offenses. The incident has sparked a national debate about political rhetoric and its potential consequences, with Republicans and Democrats trading accusations over who is responsible for escalating tensions.

The Secret Service has launched an internal review to examine possible security lapses during the event, while federal officials continue to investigate the motives behind the attack. As the political climate remains volatile, both Trump and Jeffries appear determined to maintain their rhetorical positions, with each side accusing the other of contributing to a climate of division and potential violence.