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OPINION: Ro Khanna Should Replace Hakeem Jeffries As Leader Of Democrats In The House

We need to demand better leadership.

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In this video above, Ro Khanna is on with Kaitlan Collins, an anchor on CNN. In the discussion, Khanna is calling for Les Wexner, a former CEO of Victoria Secret, to appear before Congress for his connection to Jeffrey Epstein.

If you’re on the Substack app, I definitely recommend listening to the full clip.

It’s the latest example of Khanna leading, at a time where most Democrats seem to be falling short.

In the past he’s called for America to transition to universal healthcare, something most Democrats STILL will not do, & recently has been one of 12 Democrats in the House to call for ICE to be dismantled.

Something that our current leader, Hakeem Jeffries, refused to do in a recent interview we covered a few days ago. Here was that post.

In that post I discussed some of my feelings on Jeffries and how I believe he isn’t meeting the moment. Also, how defeating MAGA requires an opposition party that is actual willing to oppose fascism. Something I feel the majority of Democrats have not done in this 2nd Trump term.

After presenting that argument, I now want to present a potential solution…

Maybe Ro Khanna should lead the Democrats in the House.

Has he been right on every issue - no. Even regarding ICE, while I appreciate that he wants to dismantle the current version of the agency, he does want to replace it with something else. This is a stance I disagree with.

However, my position comes from a simpler place — improvement is better than stagnation.

Ro Khanna is been at the forefront of this Epstein battle. Co-sponsoring the legislation with Republican Thomas Massie, who CLEARLY is in fear for his life after doing so.

Khanna has been relentless pursing accountability for the survivors of Epstein’s abuse. Go after billionaires, CEO’s, & politicians.

This is the EXACT behavior that many of us on the left have been begging for for years now. Noticeably, a lot of other Democrats in the House have either been silent, or barely mention Epstein at all, even though the base speaks about it daily.

This isn’t my way of saying that he’s the best candidate possible, but Khanna would be a tremendous upgrade over our current leader, and I believe any improvement is worth investing in.

Ro Khanna for Democratic leader in the House.


I wanted to keep that above section a bit brief because some other news happened today & recently that I wanted to share with you. Here’s what I came across.

  1. Reverend Jesse Jackson has passed on today at the age of 84. The man was an icon & civil rights legend. You will be missed.

May be an image of one or more people and text

  1. Owner of Michigan ICE detention center reported 254M in profit last year: A private prison company that operates the largest immigration detention center in Michigan saw its profits climb, even as stocks tumbled, under President Donald Trump’s effort to detain and deport millions of immigrants. GEO Group reported $254 million in profits, up from nearly $32 million in 2024, after it secured new federal contracts and opened four new ICE detention facilities throughout the country.

  2. A bill in Oklahoma would make it a felony for non-profits & houses of worship that receive state funds to “aid undocumented immigrants”: Under the bill, any NGO officer or members who provide “material support” to undocumented immigrants could face a fine up to $50,000 and up to 5 years in prison. “Material support” in the bill is defined as: “food, shelter, housing, transportation, legal services, medical care, financial assistance, or any other tangible aid or resource. directly or indirectly, that facilitates the presence, resettlement, or integration” of undocumented immigrants.

  3. Spain sends aid to Cuba after U.S. blockade triggers humanitarian crisis: Spain's Foreign Ministry said it would use United Nations channels to send humanitarian aid to Cuba. The announcement came a day after activists rallied outside the Cuban Embassy in Mexico City, expressing solidarity with the Cuban people, while protesting the U.S. blockade. The Trump administration's blockade of fuel has triggered a severe humanitarian and economic crisis in Cuba, compounding the impact of the U.S. economic embargo that's been in place since 1962.

  4. Ireland starts paying artists a basic income: The Irish government is implementing a pioneering scheme that will give 2,000 artists a basic income for three years, allowing them to focus on their creative output while maintaining an adequate standard of living. Under the scheme, which follows a three-year pilot, eligible creatives will receive €325 ($386) a week for three years followed by a period of three months when their income will steadily reduce. The income is taxed, but is not contingent on their output, allowing creatives to have a relatively stable income, plan ahead and work fewer other jobs to sustain themselves.


Lastly, I want to thank everyone who has been signing up as a paid subscriber recently, it honestly helps out a lot.

I’m just 6 more people away from hitting our goal! If you’re able to sign up & support this account, I cannot thank you enough.

A monthly subscription costs about the same as a cup of coffee 🙂

Independent Thought is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Until next time,

Desmond

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