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Thursday, May 1, 2025

Chuck Schumer struggles to meet the moment

Chuck Schumer is increasingly a man alone.

With the Trump administration reaching the 100-day point this week, Republicans were hard at work spinning perception of the president's accomplishments.

The Senate Democratic leader found himself doing the same after agreeing with Republicans to call a vote on a resolution aimed at undoing Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency over foreign trade.

He had the votes, until he didn't. Two absences among members supporting the resolution sealed its fate.

And in Trumpian fashion, Schumer was forced to portray the failed vote as a victory while other Democrats grumbled about the screw-up.

“This was a miscalculation," one Democratic senator told the Washington Examiner.

As Inside Washington reported yesterday, the Senate Democratic caucus is being hit with another wave of retirements this cycle. Schumer, 74, is not among them.

The party is under more scrutiny than ever regarding its graying membership. The withdrawal of Joe Biden far late in the game last year only reinforced their critics' views that they are willfully blind to members being unable to do their jobs thanks to age-related issues.

Voters increasingly are turning towards younger members of the party — across the board — as leadership is seen as out of step with their supporters.

And Schumer's political future, both as a senator and leader of the Democratic caucus, could well be in question if he remains isolated from both his party's base and his own colleagues.

Read more here.

By John Bowden

Reading list

Daily briefing

Trump chops National Security Advisor Mike Waltz weeks after Signal chat blunder embarrassed White House

National Security Adviser Michael Waltz will be leaving his role and transitioning to a new job as Donald Trump's ambassador to the United Nations, leaving him out of the White House and the president's inner circle, Andrew Feinberg and Rhian Lubin report.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

I think they fired the wrong guy.

Democratic Senator Mark Kelly reacts to the firing of Michael Waltz. His party is pushing for the ouster of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as well.

What else you need to know

You jinxed it: Mere hours before it was reported that he was leaving the administration after less than six months on the job, Michael Waltz was on Fox News cheering on the president and wishing one of his colleagues a fond 'last day', Justin Baragona reports.
Double Bill-ing: Days after making amends with Donald Trump over dinner and defending his efforts to mend ties to other liberal celebrities, Real Time host Bill Maher has changed his tune on the president once more, reports Mike Bedigan.

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