Well aware that Democrats would be blamed for the looming government shutdown in March, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer voted for the continuing resolution to keep the government open. While it was a wise choice, he faced fierce backlash from Democrats who accused him of caving to President Donald Trump.
Six weeks later, his favorability among Democrats had plunged to record lows, fueling speculation that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) might mount a primary challenge.
Determined not to repeat that episode, Schumer now refuses to support the current clean CR, unless Republicans agree to add roughly $1.5 trillion in new spending to “boost Obamacare subsidies and Medicaid funding.”
Republicans are typically blamed for government shutdowns. But because Schumer is so clearly putting his personal interests and his party’s political agenda ahead of what’s best for the American people, this time appears to be different.
On Monday night, Trump took to X to troll Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in the most effective way possible: through humor. He posted a spoof video of Jefferies wearing a Mexican sombrero as Schumer spoke candidly about the Democrats’ current predicament.
Look, guys, there’s no way to sugarcoat it. Nobody likes Democrats anymore. We have no voters left because of all of our woke trans bullsh**. Not even black people want to vote for us anymore. Even Latinos hate us. So we need new voters.And, if we give all these illegal aliens free health care, we might be able to get ’em on our side so they can vote for us. They can’t even speak English, so they won’t realize we’re just a bunch of woke pieces of sh**, you know. At least for a while, until they learn English and they realize they hate us too.
A community note explained why additional context for this post was not necessary. It read, “This is clearly satire and a joke. Chuck Schumer is not this factual and articulate in real life.”
Schumer responded to Trump’s provocation in a post which read: “If you think your shutdown is a joke, it just proves what we all know: You can’t negotiate. You can only throw tantrums.”
In his reply, Jefferies dared Trump to say it to his face. “The next time you have something to say to me, don’t cop out through a racist and fake AI video. When I’m back in the Oval Office, say it to my face.”
Somehow, I don’t think Trump would have any trouble with that request.
Trump’s video came after a White House meeting on Monday with Senate and House leaders failed to sway Schumer or Jeffries. Following the meeting, Vice President J.D. Vance told reporters, “You don’t put a gun to the American people’s head and say, unless you do exactly what Senate and House Democrats want you to do, we’re going to shut down your government.”
His full remarks can be viewed below.
In addition to reversing cuts to Medicaid, the Wall Street Journal reported the Democrats are demanding the extension of “enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits, first passed in 2021 by Democrats during the Covid-19 pandemic,” that are set to expire at the end of the year. According to the Journal, “fueled by the subsidies, the number of people enrolled in Affordable Care Act coverage has more than doubled since 2021, to around 24 million this year.”
It’s now September 2025, and the pandemic is long over. It’s past time to return to pre-COVID spending levels.
In remarks to reporters, House Speaker Mike Johnson did not mince words. What’s actually driving Schumer is his fear of facing AOC in a primary.
“Ask Chuck Schumer what his real motivation is,” Johnson said. “But, what it’s really about is running from AOC and the socialist base of his party, who are going to challenge him in his next election. They said he didn’t fight Trump when he did the right thing in March — and did a temporary funding measure. And now he’s got to fight. And it’s shameful. It really is.”
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
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