Jeffries accepts challenge, says he wants to debate Speaker Johnson on C-SPAN

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Hill

10/15/25 8:17 AM ET


House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said this week that he’s ready for a public debate with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) amid the government shutdown, now in its third week.

“I look forward to that,” Jeffries told a small group of reporters on Tuesday in his office in the Capitol. “We’re going to try to get it scheduled, absolutely.”

Johnson had earlier declined a challenge from Jeffries to debate on the House floor, saying the time to debate the Republicans’ spending bill had come and gone. But in a rare appearance on C-SPAN last week, the Speaker said he wanted to sit down with Jeffries on the network’s new program, “CeaseFire,” which aims to bring together figures of opposing viewpoints to discuss the issues of the day.

“I’ll sit down with Hakeem Jeffries, my counterpart. I’d love to,” Johnson said last Thursday on the network’s “Washington Journal” program. “Sometime we’ll get that done.” The latest remarks from Jeffries come weeks into a government shutdown that’s found both parties digging into their positions without giving an inch.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/5556313-hakeem-jeffries-mike-johnson-debate/

[Torchlight]

1. Next on the agenda,

... Johnson immediately explains why it won't ever happen and it's not his fault and he's certainly not scared.

[dweller]

2. In 2 weeks

from the day the govt opens

😑



✌🏻

[dutch777]

3. "Sometime we'll get that done". Holding my breath here...holding...holding...holding........... . . .

Even if he did, he would just evade questions and spout talking points...not really debate and discuss.

[sheshe2]

4. Ya, sure you will Mike.

[MayReasonRule]

5. Not Gonna' Fuckin' Happen... Trump's Wittle Johnson Is A Cowardly Nazi

Fuck Mike Johnson

[BaronChocula]

6. My advice to Leader Jeffries

Just repeat "This is the guy who said..." and then list the ridiculous obvious lies Johnson has told over the past year.

And stop gesticulating so much (just a pet peeve of mine).

[Username1234]

11. It's a Brooklyn thing.

[BaronChocula]

13. I'll buy that

And it's not so much the gestures as the fact that it's coordinated with his careful deliberate slow delivery. That just draws more attention to it. But it makes me think that the only way he can form thoughts is if his hands are moving. Just spit it out Bro. No need for poetic alliteration. He should practice rattling out these sentences:
"Mike Johnson won't reopen the government until he's sure your health premiums go up."
"Mike Johnson shut down the government to get rid of affordable health care."
"Mike Johnson wants to raise the cost of your health care and he's willing to shut down the government to do it."

[Javaman]

7. "due to the gov't shutdown, my efforts are needed else where." tiny johnson will chicken out. nt

[3Hotdogs]

8. This will not work out well for Jeffries. Mikie was placed in his position as Speaker by God, Himself. Hakeem owes

his position to the aniti-Christ, Karl Marx.

[Username1234]

12. Genuinely confused if this is weak satire or just dumb.

Any hints?

[3Hotdogs]

15. Weak satire.

Sorry it didn't amuse.

But it did amuse me, so that's what counts.

[BaronChocula]

14. Next up on the never-ending maga hate list:

Hakeem Jeffries' district, BROOKLYN
In 5... 4... 3... 2...

Fox News is now culling out-of-context TikTok video showing what a horrible hellscape Brooklyn is for white people.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

9. Looking forward to it

[Username1234]

10. "Sometime" is the weasel word of a true coward.

What is Mikey afraid of?