Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) faced backlash online for creating a fictional Long Island couple named Joe and Eileen Bailey.
In an episode of Last Week Tonight, host John Oliver shared clips of Schumer discussing the invented couple, describing them as “middle class” and having supported Reagan in 1980. Schumer mentioned that he “leads” his political journey through the lens of the Baileys.
“They are a middle-class couple in Massapequa, a suburb of Long Island,” Schumer stated during an interview on Lou Dobbs Tonight on CNN.
“This couple, Joe and Eileen Bailey, bought into Reagan’s Republican vision in 1980,” he added in another segment.
“They’re concerned about job security—for themselves and their friends,” Schumer explained.
“The Baileys are skeptical of trickle-down economics. They don’t favor excessive government spending, but they do support tax credits that help kids go to college,” Schumer noted in a Wall Street Journal interview back in 2012.
“Joe works as an insurance adjuster and, if he were in the Midwest, earning $50,000 a year wouldn’t be too bad,” Schumer commented. “My wife works in a clinic, earning around $20,000—though she might make 15 elsewhere. I’ve navigated my political life through Bailey,” he said.
During the show, Oliver highlighted that Schumer “first introduced the world to the Baileys” in his book, Aggressively American: Restoring the Middle-Class Majority, One Family at a Time. He pointed out that Schumer mentions the Baileys an impressive 265 times within its 264 pages.
Oliver joked about how Schumer created an overly detailed backstory for the fictional couple, including that Joe Bailey “cups his hat and sings along with the national anthem during Islanders games.”
Eileen Bailey is said to be involved with their church and has a father who once feared he might have prostate cancer.
In a Washington Post article from November 2018, Schumer noted that before he settled on the name Bailey, the couple was called “Oleislis.” A former aide mentioned that Schumer pondered, “What would Oleis think?” before opting for a more relatable surname.
Some critics and social media users expressed their disbelief about Schumer fabricating a couple to reflect his political life. Others viewed it as a prime example of his shortcomings in office.
“This is absurd,” commented Fox News anchor Bret Baier, highlighting Schumer’s repetitive mention of a fictional couple.
Another user remarked, “Chuck Schumer doesn’t engage with real people, so he makes them up,” pointing out the peculiar nature of using an imaginary couple in political discourse.
Others chimed in with light-hearted critiques, questioning if the Baileys even knew how to cook burgers after Schumer shared a photo of himself preparing one.
“Schumer’s imaginary friends perfectly showcase why he struggles in his role,” remarked another commenter.
In a lighter moment, Andrew Wilkow from SiriusXM posed, “Go ahead, interview him,” referring to Schumer’s unusual approach to showcasing political perspectives.
