Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is rejecting mounting calls for his resignation as the top Senate Democrat, defending his controversial decision to back a Republican-proposed spending bill aimed at averting a government shutdown. In a prerecorded interview aired Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," Schumer said he would not step down, framing his support for the bill as a necessary move to prevent deeper harm.
"Look, I'm not stepping down," Schumer said, according to NBC's "Meet the Press". "I knew that when I cast my vote against the government shutdown that there would be a lot of controversy."
The vote has intensified criticism from progressive House Democrats and advocacy groups, who accuse Schumer of conceding to Republican demands without securing meaningful concessions. Several members of the House, including some aligned with the progressive wing, have floated the possibility of leadership changes, though no Democratic senator has formally called for Schumer to resign.
Schumer defended his vote, arguing that the six-month continuing resolution-though unfavorable-was preferable to the damage a prolonged shutdown would cause. "The CR was certainly bad," he said. "But a shutdown would be 15 or 20 times worse."
Schumer warned that under a shutdown, the Trump administration would wield unchecked authority over what government services are deemed "essential." He claimed the executive branch could unilaterally cut programs like SNAP, Medicaid, transit funding, and Social Security without oversight. "Their goal is to just eviscerate the federal government so they can give more taxes, and their tax cuts, to their billionaire class over there," he said.
Citing concerns voiced by a Republican senator close to Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, Schumer suggested the administration could allow a shutdown to stretch for "six months, nine months, a year, until everyone was furloughed and gone and quit."
Schumer acknowledged divisions within the Democratic caucus over the spending bill but insisted that his leadership remains secure. "We've all agreed to respect each other because each side saw why the other side felt so strongly about it," he said. "Our caucus is united in fighting Donald Trump every step of the way."
He dismissed comparisons to President Biden's decision to stay in the 2024 race, despite pressure to step aside, asserting, "No, absolutely not. I did this out of conviction."
Reports have surfaced suggesting some Democrats are encouraging Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) to challenge Schumer in the 2028 primary if he seeks re-election. Rep. Ro Khanna (D., Calif.) told CNN on Sunday that "there were a lot of people at the Democratic retreat who had encouraged her." Khanna added, "The American people are fed up with the old guard. There needs to be a renewal."
Schumer also addressed remarks from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who suggested Senate Democrats secured no tangible gains in exchange for breaking the filibuster to advance the GOP bill. "What we got, at the end of the day, is avoiding the horror of a shutdown," Schumer said.
He maintained that Democrats had limited options, given Republican control of both chambers. "There's no off ramp," Schumer said. "Who determines how long the shutdown would last? Only those evil people at the top of the executive branch in the Trump administration."
Schumer added that his broader strategy involves making Trump a lame duck as swiftly as possible. "Our goal, our plan, which we're united on, is to make Donald Trump the quickest lame duck in modern history by showing how bad his policies are," he said. "I believe that by 2026, the Republicans in the House and Senate will feel like they're rats on a sinking ship."
During the interview, Schumer also discussed his recently published book, "Antisemitism in America: A Warning," describing it as a call for education amid rising antisemitic incidents. He said he wrote the book to address hate from both the far right and far left, emphasizing that anti-Israel activism has, in some instances, "slid over into direct antisemitism."
Schumer, who is the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in U.S. history, said he believes it is "possible" America could elect a Jewish president in his lifetime, adding, "Glass ceilings are broken every day."
