候任议长必须处理未来两年与总统接触的竞争性理论。特朗普总统在周二中期选举惨败后表示，他希望与民主党“合作”。现在，哈基姆·杰弗里斯必须决定他的党是否愿意配合。
The presumptive speaker must manage competing theories of how to engage the president in the next two years. President Donald Trump said after Tuesday’s midterm drubbing he wants to “work with” Democrats. Now Hakeem Jeffries has to decide if his party will play ball.
在他准备领导庞大的民主党众议院多数派之际，候任议长最艰难的抉择或许就是如何应对特朗普。多年来，杰弗里斯一直贬低和诋毁这位总统，现在他必须权衡党团内部的不同意见：包括即将入职的红选区新人在内的部分人希望尝试合作，而许多其他人则希望全面对抗。
As he prepares to lead a massive House Democratic majority, perhaps the presumptive speaker’s toughest call will be how to handle Trump. After years of dismissing and denigrating the president, Jeffries has to weigh varying opinions inside his caucus: Some, including incoming red-district freshmen, want to attempt collaboration, while plenty of others want total war.
特朗普已经通过任命史蒂芬·米勒——民主党政府中最头疼的人物之一——担任新任白宫幕僚长来试探民主党，这促使杰弗里斯做出一贯尖锐的回应，谴责米勒是“危险的排外主义者和鲁莽的极端分子”，其“在政府中的存在应像恶性肿瘤一样被根除”。但杰弗里斯身边的成员承认，他很快可能不得不改变语气，因为民主党承诺要兑现降低成本的竞选承诺，以备2028年大选——或者至少要表现得像是在努力。
Trump is already testing Democrats by appointing Stephen Miller, one of their top administration boogeymen, as his new White House chief of staff — prompting a characteristically fierce reply from Jeffries denouncing Miller as a “dangerous xenophobe and reckless extremist” whose “presence in government should be eradicated like a malignant tumor.”But members close to Jeffries acknowledge he might soon have to strike a different tone as Democrats pledge to make good on their campaign promises to lower costs ahead of 2028 — or at least be seen trying.