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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is standing his ground amid backlash from some progressive Democrats after he voted in favor of a Republican-backed funding bill to prevent a government shutdown. Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Schumer defended his decision, calling a shutdown “15 or 20 times worse” than the compromise bill.
“Look, I’m not stepping down,” Schumer told host Kristen Welker. “Sometimes when you’re a leader, you have to do things to avoid a real danger… I did it out of pure conviction as to what a leader should do and what the right thing for America and my party was.”
Schumer acknowledged the controversy but insisted that allowing the Trump administration full discretion over shutdown operations would have been disastrous.
“Under a shutdown, the executive branch has sole power to determine what is ‘essential,’” he warned. “On Day 2, they could say, ‘SNAP? Feeding hungry children? Not essential.’ On Day 4, ‘Mass transit? Aid to the states? Not essential.’ By Day 6, ‘Medicaid? We’ll cut that by 80%.’ Their goal is to eviscerate the federal government so they can give more tax cuts to billionaires.”
While no Democratic senators have publicly called for Schumer to step down, some have suggested it’s time to reassess leadership. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) said at a recent town hall that “we’re going to have future conversations about all the Democratic leadership.”
Progressives Push for New Leadership
Reports suggest some Democrats are hoping progressive firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) challenges Schumer in 2028 if he seeks re-election. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) told CNN’s State of the Union that Ocasio-Cortez has strong grassroots support.
“There were a lot of people at the Democratic retreat who encouraged her,” Khanna said. “The American people are fed up with the old guard. There needs to be a renewal. In Silicon Valley, when a company isn’t doing well, you don’t keep the same team.”
Schumer dismissed criticism that his vote gave Democrats nothing in return, saying, “What we got, at the end of the day, is avoiding the horror of a shutdown.”
Schumer Sounds Alarm on Trump’s Power and Antisemitism
The Senate Minority Leader also warned that Trump’s continued attacks on the judiciary, coupled with allegations of defying court orders, have put the U.S. in a constitutional crisis.
“If he defies the Supreme Court, then we are in uncharted territory… Our entire democracy is at risk,” Schumer said. “I believe that if Donald Trump should defy the courts, the public will rise up. Democrats will fight it in every single way.”
Schumer also promoted his new book, Antisemitism in America: A Warning, in which he tackles rising antisemitism from both the far right and segments of the left.
“I would like all of America to read this,” he said. “The best antidote to antisemitism is education.”
Despite calls for change within the Democratic Party, Schumer appears determined to hold onto his leadership role, positioning himself as a bulwark against the Trump administration’s policies. Whether progressives will mount a serious challenge remains to be seen, but the battle for Democratic leadership is far from over.
