Growing antagonism over the ongoing government shutdown spilled out into the halls of the Capitol as Democrat leader Hakeem Jeffries berated a Republican congressman in front of the cameras. 

Jeffries, the House Minority Leader, got into a heated argument with New York Republican Mike Lawler on Wednesday as he exited a meeting. 

Lawler was waiting for the Democrat and pressed him to sign onto a one-year extension of Obamacare subsidies, which are set to expire under the funding bill that Democrats have blocked. 

The hostile back-and-forth was shared by a number of journalists to social media as the two lawmakers went at it for over five minutes.  

The head Democrat in the House repeatedly asked Lawler if his ‘boss’ had given him permission to speak about the shutdown, appearing to reference President Trump. 

‘You’re doing this for clout,’ he continued in the heated back-and-forth as both men yelled over each other. 

‘You’re an embarassment, an embarassment.’ 

Jeffries went on to ask Lawler if he is ‘mathematically challenged’ and said he was going to lose his re-election in the argument, as Lawler barked back: ‘You shut the government down.’ 

The lawmakers grew more irate as they argued over Trump’s tax cut bill that was passed over the summer, with Jeffries raising his voice as he said: ‘You’re not going to talk over me.’ 

‘Why don’t you just keep your mouth shut,’ Jeffries said. 

Lawyer responded: ‘Wow, is that the way you’re going to talk?’ 

Jeffries told Lawler that his urging to extend the Obamacare subsidies was null because he voted for Trumps ‘Big Ugly Bill’, which slashed healthcare funding. 

As Lawler told him to sign the extension, Jeffries repeated back: ‘Has your boss Donald Trump signed it yet?’ 

‘You have four Democrats on here. Why won’t you sign on?’ Lawler said. 

Jeffries fired back: ‘Are you trying to elevate yourself? Because you’re going to lose re-election?’ 

‘Why won’t you run for governor?’ he added, to which Lawler said: ‘I won’t, because I like this job.’ 

The wide-ranging argument also saw Lawler question Jeffries over Zohran Mamdani’s campaign to become the next New York City Mayor. 

‘Are you going to endorse Zohan Mamdani?’ he said. 

Jeffries then asked Lawler if he is ‘mathematically challenged’, and told him he was ending their exchange because he was ’embarassed’ to be part of it. 

The argument came as Trump threatened to lay-off thousands of bureaucrats in the government shutdown, with both Republicans and Democrats appearing far away from striking a deal. 

Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and press secretary Karoline Leavitt all dangled the bloodbath threat in an attempt to heighten the stakes for Democrats. 

But the opposing party has called his bluff and are dug in for the long haul as the government shutdown enters its eighth day on Wednesday. 

The rift saw the ‘TACO Trump’ memes return, stood for ‘Trump Always Chickens Out’, with Democrats sensing that Trump has overplayed his hand amid concerns that widespread job cuts will alienate moderates. 

Jeffries has been repeatedly mocked by Trump during the shutdown negotiations, as the president has shared memes of the Democrat leader wearing a sumbrero.