Donald Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner has held talks with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the top Democrat in the chamber, in a sign that both sides are manoeuvring ahead of November's midterm elections. The meeting, first reported by the New York Times, took place recently in Manhattan and was arranged through a mutual contact. It matters because Republicans currently hold the White House, Senate and House, but polling suggests they could lose that grip, making relationships across the aisle newly significant for both camps.

The pair reportedly discussed housing, immigration and the cost of living, and have previously collaborated on the bipartisan First Step Act criminal justice reform in 2018. The talks come as Jeffries eyes a possible run at the House speakership, though his authority faces pressure from progressive, Mamdani-backed candidates who have unseated established Democrats in recent primaries, including Dan Goldman, Adriano Espaillat and Diana DeGette. Meanwhile, a Daily Mail/JL Partners poll from July put Democrats over nine points ahead on the generic midterm ballot, and Trump himself has voiced doubt about whether his supporters will turn out without him on the ballot, even as Republicans continue to outpace Democrats in fundraising.