Trump rips Chuck Schumer, says Democrats ‘have no leader’ in shutdown
WASHINGTON — President Trump claimed Tuesday that Democrats “have no leader” with whom he can negotiate an end to the government shutdown in a jab at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Trump’s comments indicate the seven-day shutdown could drag on at least into next week as the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) teases plans to deny back pay to some government workers and to permanently dismiss many others.
“We have a lot of things that we’re going to eliminate and permanently eliminate,” the president told reporters in the Oval Office as he hosted Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“The Democrats have no leader. They remind me of Somalia,” Trump said.
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“I don’t, I just don’t know if Schumer has any power anymore. I look at your, your leadership. I don’t know who to speak to.”
Trump has repeatedly claimed Schumer fears a 2028 primary challenge by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), saying: “Schumer is petrified of the primary because he’s not going to win, probably against anybody.”
Asked how many permanent job cuts could happen within the federal government, Trump said, “I’ll be able to tell you that in four or five days if this keeps going on.”
He argued that denying back pay to certain federal workers was possible because there are “people that really don’t deserve to be taken care of” once the government reopens.
Trump’s pessimistic remarks came just a day after he teased his desire to strike a deal with Democrats that would resolve the dispute over extending pandemic-era enhancements to health insurance subsidies for 22 million people.
Schumer, the clear Democratic leader in the funding fight, did not immediately respond to Trump’s taunts.
The Brooklyn Democrat has lost just three conference members in his weeklong effort to create leverage to extend the more generous ObamaCare credits, which are set to expire Dec. 31.
Republicans initially had hoped for Democrats to cave quickly and agree to a seven-week temporary spending bill, but thus far only Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Angus King of Maine have voted for reopening the government.
Schumer on Tuesday highlighted calls by one of Trump’s most outspoken allies, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, to extend the subsidies.
Greene on Monday night cited the looming near-doubling of premiums for her adult children and the fact that “[a]ll our country does is fund foreign countries and foreign wars, and never does anything to help the American people!!!”
Schumer quote-tweeted Greene, writing: “NEWS: I agree with @RepMTG.”
The final deal-making to end the shutdown, however, seemed far away following Trump’s remarks, despite a path forward floated by the president Monday.
“We have a negotiation going on right now with the Democrats that could lead to very good things,” he said at the time. “And I’m talking about good things with regard to healthcare.”
“We can have a much better healthcare than we have right now, and we’re talking to them. I’d like to see a deal made for great healthcare.”
Trump and Republican leaders object to a Democratic spending bill’s provision that would open the door for nearly $200 billion in payments over 10 years for immigrant healthcare, including hospital reimbursements and Obamacare subsidies for those who illegally entered the country.
The president said Monday that his message to the public was: “Just hang in there, because I think a lot of good things are going to happen. That’s all I can say. I mean, I think a lot of good things can happen, and that could also pertain to healthcare.”Schumer said the same day that it “isn’t true” that talks were underway, but that he was “ready to make it happen.”