WASHINGTON — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., on Friday accused President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans of wrecking the U.S. economy, tying rising prices, weak hiring and the ongoing war in Iran into a single indictment just hours after the federal government released a September jobs report showing employers added only 29,000 positions.
The statement came in a post on X at 1:58 p.m. ET on Oct. 2, 2026, from Jeffries’ official account, @RepJeffries.
The post read in full:
“Inflation is up, job creation is down and the reckless war of choice in Iran has been a disaster.
Republicans have crashed the economy.
We continue to fight for an affordable America.”
The Jobs Report Behind the Post
The post followed the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Situation report for September, released at 8:30 a.m. ET Friday. According to the bureau, total nonfarm payroll employment changed little at +29,000, following an average monthly gain of 45,000 over the prior 12 months. The unemployment rate was 4.2 percent, and the bureau said employment in all major industries changed little over the month.
The report also contained downward revisions. July’s change was revised from +21,000 to -10,000, and August’s from +162,000 to +133,000. Together, the two months are 60,000 lower than previously reported.
Wage growth was modest. Average hourly earnings for private nonfarm employees rose 5 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $37.81 in September, and are up 3.0 percent over the past 12 months. That annual pace is below the inflation readings reported earlier this year, which means pay is not keeping up with prices. The Black unemployment rate rose to 7.0 percent in September. Manufacturing added 9,000 jobs, and financial activities employment is down 129,000 since a May 2025 peak.
War, Oil and Prices
The war Jeffries referenced began in late February, when Iran effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz in response to a fatal U.S.-Israeli strike against its ruler. The strait normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil, and its closure has disrupted the global economy and pushed up U.S. inflation.
Federal data showed inflation rose 3.8% year over year in April, the highest in three years, and then climbed to 4.2% in May, the highest since early 2023. Fuel costs were the main driver, with groceries, dining out and airfares also rising.
Jeffries’ Running Criticism
Friday’s post is the latest in a months-long series of attacks from Jeffries on the administration’s handling of the war and the economy. At a press conference, he said Trump “promised that he wasn’t going to start endless wars in the Middle East” but then “got the country involved in a reckless and costly war of choice in Iran.” He added that Iran is stronger than before the war began and that Americans are “economically weaker,” particularly because of gas prices.
At the same event, Jeffries said Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had promised the war would last only about four to six weeks. It is now in its eighth month.
“Doesn’t Give a Damn”
Jeffries’ criticism sharpened in May after Trump was asked how the war’s economic toll factored into his decisions. Trump replied that he thought about “one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” adding “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situations.” Jeffries responded on X that “the reckless Republican war of choice in Iran is crushing the financial situation of the American people.”
Speaking to reporters, he said, “The economy is a disaster, and we know why.” He tied the economy’s condition to what he described as Trump’s and Republicans’ indifference to Americans’ personal finances. In June, after the May inflation report, he said “the only conclusion we can draw” is that Trump “doesn’t give a d*mn about making life better for everyday Americans.”
Democrats’ “Affordable America” Message
The closing line of Friday’s post echoes the slogan that has anchored Jeffries’ public messaging for months. In appearances collected on his official website, he has said House Democrats are fighting to lower the cost of groceries, gas and housing and to make healthcare affordable. On MSNOW’s PoliticsNation, he said Democrats are “committed to actually fighting for an affordable America.”
In a CNN State of the Union interview about 100 days before the midterms, he said Republicans have “nothing to run on,” pointing to soaring gas and grocery prices and the war in Iran. He said Democrats would run on fighting for an affordable America.
War Powers and Taxpayer Dollars
Jeffries has also challenged the war on spending and legislative grounds. On NBC’s Meet the Press, he said Americans do not want to see billions of dollars spent bombing Iran while Republicans are unwilling to spend “a dime” to lower grocery bills or make doctor visits more affordable.
On MSNOW’s Morning Joe, he said the House had passed a War Powers Resolution to end the conflict and that “taxpayer dollars should actually be spent to make life more affordable for the American people.” He has also said he is confident Democrats will take back the House.
The Republican Response
Republican leaders have said ending the war is the path to relief. House Speaker Mike Johnson said in May that Trump is “laser-focused” on resolving the conflict and that reopening the Strait of Hormuz “will alleviate a lot of pressure with gas prices and other things in the economy.” Johnson also said he agrees that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon.
Trump has said prices will fall “like a rock” once the war ends. He later told the New York Post that remarks about loving inflation were taken out of context and that he meant the numbers were “much lower than anticipated” given the war.
What It Means for the Midterms
The post lands about a month before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, with control of the House at stake. On the prediction market Polymarket, the odds of Democrats winning the House stand at 94%. Prediction markets are not polls, and their odds can shift quickly.
Jeffries has said every significant generic ballot poll shows House Democrats beating House Republicans. The Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its October jobs report on Friday, Nov. 6, three days after Election Day, so September’s numbers are the last employment data voters will have before casting ballots.