Democratic strategist James Carville sharply criticized House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., on Monday over Jeffries' recent meeting with Jared Kushner, arguing that Democrats should not be sitting down with members of President Donald Trump's inner circle.

The dispute followed reports that Jeffries met privately with Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and a U.S. special envoy, to discuss housing, immigration and the high cost of living as potential areas where common ground might be found. The New York Times first reported the meeting.

Carville said Democrats may disagree on a wide range of policy issues, but he argued there should be no disagreement over engaging with Trump allies.

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"Let me try to explain something," Carville said.

"And Hakeem, you’re a smart guy. Let me explain something here, very, very clear. You have Democrats that have a different position on Medicare for all, whether that’s a good idea. You have Democrats that have different positions on effective policing, and there’s a whole variety of subjects of which there are some disagreements within the Democratic Party."

Carville continued by saying that, in his view, the party was united on one issue.

"On one thing, on one thing, there is no disagreement," he said.

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"There’s unanimity. And it is simply this: in the opinion of every Democrat in the United States, progressive, moderate, middle road, left, f---, I don’t know whatever you want, we believe one thing above all."

He then directly addressed the question of Democrats meeting with Trump administration figures and allies.

"These people are a pack of felons and traitors, and you do not meet with them. You do not meet with them," Carville continued.

Carville also suggested that Democrats should take a far more confrontational approach toward Kushner rather than looking for possible areas of agreement.

"We need to drag [Kushner’s] a-- before a committee and find out what backdoor-dealing, w----house s--- he's got going on with Steve Whitcomb and everybody else," Carville said.

"We're not going to be nice to you. We don't like you."

The longtime Democratic strategist further claimed that Trump and his administration "have no idea what they’re doing," while accusing them of "making every backdoor bulls--- deal they can."

Carville ultimately returned to his original message for Jeffries.

"And we don’t meet with them. Don’t meet with them."

The backlash surrounding the Kushner meeting has also raised questions about how Jeffries handled news of the discussion after it became public.

Jason Mudd, CEO of the public relations firm Axia, told Fox News Digital that the central problem was not necessarily that Jeffries met with Kushner, but that the meeting became public before Jeffries had explained it himself.

"Jeffries got caught being reasonable in private without being strategic in public. To be clear, this isn't about whether Kushner deserved the meeting. It's about how the meeting was handled," Mudd said. "Now Jeffries is explaining it after the leak instead of framing it before the leak. That's the real mistake. Not taking the meeting itself."

Mudd said politicians often need to work across party lines but argued that transparency with constituents remains important.

"If I were advising Jeffries or his camp right now, I'd tell him to stop playing defense and take control of the narrative today," Mudd said.

"Say what the meeting was about, why he took it, and what came of it, in his own words. Silence and vague statements read as guilt even when there's nothing to hide, and right now the story is being written for him and without him."

Fox News Digital reported that it reached out to Jeffries, Kushner and the White House for comment.

The episode puts Jeffries in the unusual position of facing criticism for holding a private discussion aimed at identifying possible areas of bipartisan agreement, while Carville's response made clear that at least some Democrats believe dealing with Trump's inner circle is a bridge the party should not cross.

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