Damage control desperation found Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) struggling to spin securing a legislative victory for President Donald Trump.
Last week, after the House passed legislation funding the government through September, Schumer’s initial opposition turned into bare minimum support, sending the bill to the president’s desk. As critics raged and contended the lawmaker “radically misread the room,” he trotted out a new take attempting to sell the GOP as the party seeking a shutdown.
Joining the New York Times’ Lulu Garcia-Navarro Sunday for “The Interview” podcast, Schumer sold a story of seemingly outflanking the Republican Party in what invariably proved a lose-lose situation for the left.
“Their goal of shutting down, of decimating, the whole federal government, of cutting agency after agency after agency, would occur under a shutdown. It would be devastating,” he argued, framing himself as a hero for siding with the legislation he’d previously lamented for lacking bipartisan agreement.
“Two days from now in a shutdown, they could say, ‘Well, SNAP, food stamps for kids, is not essential. It’s gone. All veterans’ offices in rural areas are gone. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, they’re not essential. We’re cutting them back,” demonized the Democrat. “So, it’d be horrible. The damage they can do under a shutdown is much worse than any other damage that they could do.”
Thanks to Schumer and nine of his colleagues, the filibuster was defeated with a 62-38 vote allowing the bill to ultimately reach the president’s desk. The minority leader was joined by Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Dick Durbin of Illinois, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Gary Peters of Michigan, Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire along with independent Sen. Angus King of Maine who caucuses with the Democratic Party.
Only Shaheen and King went on to support the passage of the bill itself.
“Congratulations to Chuck Schumer for doing the right thing — Took ‘guts’ and courage!” read a Friday post from Trump on Truth Social that poured gasoline on the fire of leftist ire. “The big Tax Cuts, L.A. fire fix, Debt Ceiling Bill, and so much more, is coming. We should all work together on that very dangerous situation. A non pass would be a Country destroyer, approval will lead us to new heights. Again, really good and smart move by Senator Schumer. This could lead to something big for the USA, a whole new direction and beginning!”
Among the most vocal politicians speaking out against Schumer’s move was New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) as the Squad member who’d come to Washington, D.C. after winning a primary challenge against the high-ranking then-Rep. Joe Crowley was reportedly urged to mount another ballot box battle.
“I think there is a deep sense of outrage and betrayal,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters on Thursday. “Just to see Senate Democrats even consider acquiescing to Elon Musk, I think is a huge slap in the face.”
AOC big mad at Schumer for caving on shutdown – talk of primary challenge builds https://t.co/zwgXz9eqNH via @BIZPACReview
— BPR based (@DumpstrFireNews) March 14, 2025
Bolstering her sentiment, CNN’s Van Jones hit the airwaves to report, “I’ve never seen this level of volcanic anger at a Democrat, ever. Ever!”
“We can be grumpy, we can be frustrated with each other, there is a volcanic eruption of outrage at leader Schumer because we want a [former Senate Leader] Mitch McConnell,” he went on. “I remember when [then-President Barack] Obama had all the cards, Mitch McConnell drove Obama nuts, twisted his pinky, broke his kneecaps, and got stuff done for Republicans when they shouldn’t have gotten an inch, they got miles.”
Jones later added, “There’s an emotional need to stop Donald Trump and Elon Musk from running over this party and I think Chuck Schumer has radically misread the room.”
Meanwhile, Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy (D) addressed the need for a new approach from the left as he supported Schumer during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“I think the only way that we are going to be effective as a caucus is if we change our tactics,” he told host Kristen Welker. “And we have to have a conversation inside our caucus to make sure that we are going to do that.”
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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