House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) hit a new low this week when he took to the House floor waving an Elmo doll like a deranged puppeteer, all to protest Republican efforts to cut wasteful taxpayer funding for PBS and NPR. If this is the best the Democratic Party can muster, it’s no wonder Americans are flocking to President Donald Trump’s common-sense leadership.
Jeffries, with his cringe-worthy theatrics, whined, “Today, we are on the floor of the House of Representatives debating legislation that targets Elmo. And Big Bird. And Daniel Tiger and ‘Sesame Street.’” But here’s the reality: Republicans are simply doing what fiscal conservatives have demanded for decades—ending the absurdity of forcing hardworking Americans to subsidize left-wing propaganda masquerading as “public broadcasting.”
For years, Democrats and their allies in the liberal media have claimed that federal funding for PBS and NPR is just a “drop in the bucket.” If that’s true, why the hysterics? Why not let Hollywood elites, coastal billionaires, and woke corporations—who already dominate the narrative—foot the bill? The answer is simple: The left doesn’t care about Elmo or Big Bird. They care about maintaining control over another taxpayer-funded megaphone for their progressive agenda.
Hakeem whips out Elmo to defend PBS's funding.
How can anyone take this guy seriously? pic.twitter.com/eeIfhfVYM2
— Media Research Center (@theMRC) June 12, 2025
Meanwhile, President Trump continues to deliver on his promises, pushing for fiscal responsibility while the Democrats resort to juvenile stunts. The GOP’s Proposed Rescissions of Budgetary Resources would claw back over $9 billion in unspent or misallocated funds—money that could be better used to secure the border, rebuild our military, or provide relief to overtaxed families. But instead of debating policy, Democrats would rather play with dolls.
Hakeem Jeffries is going to use Elmo to show everyone where Trump’s words hurt him. pic.twitter.com/gDC6YIm8N4
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) June 12, 2025
The liberal media, of course, ate it up, framing Jeffries’ embarrassment as some kind of heroic stand. But on social media, Americans saw right through the charade. One user mocked, “Democrats really think holding up Elmo counts as leadership?” Another quipped, “Hakeem Jeffries just set back the Democratic Party 50 years.” Even FOX News couldn’t resist pointing out the absurdity, headlining their report: “‘Killed off Elmo’: Jeffries brings along stuffed friend for stunt on House floor.”
Someone tell the House Minority Leader that Elmo is a Netflix employee now pic.twitter.com/hy5LInxFnJ
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) June 12, 2025
While Democrats flail, President Trump remains focused on real issues—strengthening the economy, restoring law and order, and putting America first. The contrast couldn’t be clearer: one side fights for taxpayers, the other fights for puppet shows.