Chuck Schumer Claims Dems Have ‘Real Direction Now’ | EUROtoday

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) spoke in regards to the state of the Democratic Party after a contentious week through which he was criticized by lots of his social gathering members.

Schumer sat down to talk with Lulu Garcia-Navarro for The New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast on Monday and Saturday. The episode was launched Sunday, days after Schumer and a number of other different Democrats bent the knee to Republicans by signing off on a GOP spending invoice to keep away from a authorities shutdown. The transfer highlighted obvious division amongst social gathering members.

Despite this, Schumer claimed that Democrats are genuine and have “real direction now.” He added that Democrats, generally known as the social gathering for working individuals, didn’t publicly voice how they have been preventing for the working class in recent times, to their detriment. According to Schumer, that’s now not the case.

Schumer additionally dodged Garcia-Navarro’s query about whether or not he thinks it’s time for him to retire. Instead, he claimed that the social gathering’s members are all united of their entrance in opposition to President Donald Trump.

“I think we have mutual respect in our caucus, and we are all united, no matter how people voted on this vote, to continue fighting Trump. We are a united and strong caucus fighting against Trump,” Schumer claimed. “We disagreed on this issue, but that doesn’t diminish in any way how we’re going to fight every step of the way against Trump. And I believe that we’re going to have some real successes.”

Garcia-Navarro additionally requested Schumer whether or not he believes Democrats have his again for a 2028 major.

“That’s a long time away,” he replied. “I am focused on bringing Trump’s numbers down, his popularity down, exposing what he has done to America and what he will do. That’s my focus right now. You know, three years from now is a long way to speculate. I believe that my hard work against Trump will pay off.”

Echoing his earlier sentiments throughout a ground speech, Schumer additionally defended his resolution to backtrack on his plan to filibuster and vote in opposition to the GOP spending invoice.

“A shutdown would shut down all government agencies, and it would solely be up to Trump and DOGE and Musk what to open again because they could determine what was essential,” Schumer mentioned, referring to the so-called Department of Government Efficiency and its de facto head Elon Musk.

“So their goal of decimating the whole federal government, of cutting agency after agency after agency, would occur under a shutdown,” he continued, including that he was conscious his resolution can be unpopular amongst Democrats.

“The bottom line is if the filibuster would have been used and the government shut down, the devastation would be terrible. You see, we’ve had government shutdowns before, but never against such nihilists, such anti-government fanatics as Trump, DOGE, Musk,” Schumer mentioned, earlier than mentioning Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought. “They’ve given us a playbook, by the way. Vought has already written what he wants to shut down if he got a shutdown. Trump wanted a shutdown. Musk wanted a shutdown. Ask yourself why.”

By distinction, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) mentioned the choice by Schumer and different Democrats to vote in favor of the laws was “unthinkable.”

“This turns the federal government into a slush fund for Donald Trump and Elon Musk,” she added.

“And so to me, it is almost unthinkable why Senate Democrats would vote to hand the few pieces of leverage that we have away for free when we’ve been sent here to protect Social Security, protect Medicaid and protect Medicare.”