Image preservation may have played a role, as a report on the House’s top Democrat attending a fundraiser with a Fox News regular required an abrupt edit.
For all the left’s talk of inclusivity and having a big tent, figures in the Democratic Party have often shown disfavor and outright animosity toward anyone out of lockstep. Tuesday, this appeared to take the form of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) backing out of a fundraising event after The Bulwark highlighted the attendance of former first lady Jill Biden’s onetime spokesman Michael LaRosa.
Initially dubbing the report, “Jeffries to Fundraise With Fox News’s Favorite Democrat,” it emphasized LaRosa’s criticism of spotlighted leftists like Hasan Piker, Graham Platner, and Abdul El-Sayed. The latter proved particularly egregious to “vote blue, no matter who” politics, as the strategist backed his rival in the Senate race, former Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers (R).
Within an hour of The Bulwark’s Tim Miller sharing the report on X, he followed with an update that read, “Leader Jeffries Abruptly Cancels Fundraiser with @MichaelLaRosaDC,” and the title was changed to “Jeffries Abruptly Cancels Fundraiser With Fox News’s Favorite Dem.”
Update: Leader Jeffries Abruptly Cancels Fundraiser with @MichaelLaRosaDC https://t.co/Bwf0GfkgrN
— Tim Miller (@Timodc) September 22, 2026
Of the partner at lobbying firm Ballard Partners, the report stated, “LaRosa frequently applauds the president’s foreign policy efforts. He’s gone out of his way to compliment Vice President JD Vance and attack New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, even signing a petition encouraging the latter to skip the recent 9/11 memorial ceremony.”
“LaRosa has criticized Democrats for embracing DEI policies, insisted they’d gone ‘silent’ on Iranian protests, and argued that the party’s rhetoric is ‘out of control,” it went on.
Michael LaRosa, Press Secretary to former First Lady Jill Biden, endorses Mike Rogers over Abdul El-Sayed for US Senate in Michigan. pic.twitter.com/mNffuTSWkW
— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) August 8, 2026
Included in the update, Justin Chermol, spokesperson for Jeffries, told The Bulwark of the event featuring officials from the described “Trump-allied firm” Ballard, “Leader Hakeem Jeffries does not plan to participate in any event hosted by Ballard next week or at any point in the future. The event is not on his calendar and it is not taking place.”
Chermol proceeded to tout the lawmaker’s record for fundraising this election cycle.
On Mamdani and 9/11, LaRosa was among tens of thousands in opposition to Hizzoner’s attendance, stating in part, “The 25th anniversary of 9/11 is one morning that must stay free of politics. Mayor Mamdani’s presence at Ground Zero will be a lightning rod that diverts attention away from the only people that morning belongs to: the victims of this heinous attack and their loved ones.”
As it happened, the mayor made the prediction a reality when he was spotted laughing and smiling with New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) during the solemn recitation of the victims’ names.
Referencing his private X account, The Bulwark cited LaRosa’s continued praise for Jeffries while bucking the party line, with a nod to the leader’s meeting with United States Special Envoy for Peace Missions and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. While snowflakes melted over the private meeting, LaRosa said, “I love the pragmatism. I love the leadership. And I love Jeffries’ willingness to work with anyone to get things done.”
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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- Hakeem Jeffries was headed to a fundraiser with a familiar Fox News Democrat — then abruptly backed out - September 23, 2026
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