Who is Hakeem Jeffries, the Democrat poised to become House speaker?

After Democrats’ decisive victory in the US midterm elections, 56-year-old New York congressman and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is poised to become the first Black speaker of the House of Representatives. The position would put him at the centre of Democratic efforts to rein in President Donald Trump during the final two years of his presidency. But some Democrats question whether his cautious approach and longstanding support for Israel suit the moment; a petition urging lawmakers to choose another speaker had gathered more than 980,000 signatures by Saturday morning. Several newly elected progressives have not said whether they will back him, as the party’s left wing pushes for a more confrontational approach to Trump.