If you think your morning is rough, just imagine being Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today. Schumer has hit a major bump in the road, as he announced he will not filibuster and intends to vote for cloture on the Republican continuing resolution. This move secures President Donald Trump a significant victory, keeping the government funded through September 30.
In his Senate floor statement, Schumer admitted, “While the CR bill is very bad… Allowing Donald Trump to take even more power via a government shutdown is a far worse option.” He added that a shutdown would be equivalent to giving Trump, DOGE chief Elon Musk, and OMB Director Russ Vought “The keys to the city, state and country.”
President Trump, always keen to get in the last word, took to Truth Social to commend Schumer with a cleverly crafted message, congratulating him on his “really good and smart move.” This is bound to have left-leaning folks in a frenzy.
“Congratulations to Chuck Schumer for doing the right thing — Took “guts” and courage!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The big Tax Cuts, L.A. fire fix, Debt Ceiling Bill, and so much more, is coming. We should all work together on that very dangerous situation. A non pass would be a Country destroyer, approval will lead us to new heights. Again, really good and smart move by Senator Schumer. This could lead to something big for the USA, a whole new direction and beginning!”
— Donald J. Trump
Adding fuel to the fire, CNN reports that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Socialist-NY) plans to rally her supporters to resist the funding bill that Schumer conceded on. “I think there is a deep sense of outrage and betrayal,” AOC lamented to reporters. She mentioned that Democrats are actively “texting, calling, and sending carrier pigeons.”
Even more intriguing, ‘centrist’ House Democrats are encouraging AOC to take on Schumer, promising to back her financially. When pressed by CNN, AOC did not shut down the idea of a primary challenge against Schumer, instead focusing on preventing Democrats from supporting the funding bill.
Asked by CNN about fellow Democrats encouraging her to challenge Schumer, Ocasio-Cortez did not rule it out and said only that she was focused on keeping Dems from backing the funding bill: “We still have an opportunity to correct course here, and that is my number one priority.”
— Sarah Ferris (@sarahnferris)
March 14, 2025
Should AOC choose to challenge Schumer, it promises to be a spectacle worthy of grabbing some popcorn. The likelihood of this political showdown just increased after last night’s developments.
