Calls for Schumer’s resignation are mounting.
On Monday, various anti-MAGA groups urged Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to step down following a protest from a handful of Democrats about the government shutdown.
Leaders from the Save America movement expressed anger over Schumer’s inability to unify his party, as eight Democrats sought a deal with Republicans to resolve the shutdown, without securing commitments regarding increases in Obamacare premiums—a central issue contributing to the standoff.
“Chuck Schumer is an appeaser and an underdog,” criticized Steve Schmidt, a founding member of the group who previously worked on John McCain’s 2008 campaign and helped establish the Lincoln Project to oppose Trump.
“His record as Senate Majority Leader reflects a moral disaster and a political failure that rivals MAGA itself,” he added.
The bipartisan agreement ignited fierce backlash among Democrats and progressives nationwide, particularly in New York.
Governor Kathy Hochul, the state’s prominent Democrat, strongly condemned the deal.
“Ending the government shutdown shouldn’t come at the cost of healthcare for millions of Americans,” she stated. “This agreement paves the way for damaging premium hikes that will increase costs for New Yorkers. Ignore my comments.”
Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani also criticized the potential for soaring health insurance costs and the worsening affordability crisis.
“This should be rejected, along with any political maneuvers that compromise the essential needs of workers,” he said.
Mamdani and his supporters in the Working Families Party quickly tapped into the outrage by sending out fundraising appeals, seemingly without directly naming Schumer. This appears to be part of an effort to challenge the nearly 30-year reign Schumer has had in the Senate.
“After 40 days of negotiations, the Democratic Party has achieved nothing. This is a failure of establishment politics,” the WFP remarked.
“If you’re fed up with Democrats who are unwilling to fight, join us.”
Despite the pressure, Schumer maintained he would not support the contentious compromise.
“I do not endorse the Republican bill being presented in the Senate, as it doesn’t effectively address America’s healthcare crisis,” he asserted.
