Jeffries Won’t Say If Mamdani’s Black ID Claim Crossed the Line — Should He?

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is facing heat after sidestepping a direct question about fellow Democrat Zohran Mamdani, a New York politician who reportedly identified as “Black or African American” on his Columbia University application. This comes amid growing tensions around race, authenticity, and representation in politics. Mamdani, who is Indian-American, has offered no public explanation. The silence from top Black leadership like Jeffries has many asking: if you don’t speak up when race is used for political gain, what message are you sending to the community that built the party? Should Black voters demand more accountability from their representatives?