Chuck Schumer is still engaged in damage control after his heavily criticized decision to support the GOP budget, despite the objections from the majority of his party. In his recent appearance on “All In With Chris Hayes,” Schumer attempted to explain his position.
Facing increasing calls to step down as Senate Minority Leader, Schumer might have exacerbated his situation as Chris Hayes expressed his frustration during the interview, exclaiming, “My God.”
You can watch the interview below:
Schumer had previously appeared on the show last week following his announcement of opposition to blocking the bill, which could have led to a government shutdown. This more extensive interview delved deeper into his reasoning.
Schumer justified his controversial opposition strategy, claiming that Democratic leaders have yet to identify the right “moments” to leverage their power while asserting that he is “fighting relentlessly.” Throughout the discussion, he repeatedly relied on familiar talking points and suggested that he views the current political climate as akin to previous eras. He maintained that democracy in America is not under threat “yet.”
This line of conversation visibly frustrated Hayes, who, while maintaining professionalism, displayed disbelief at Schumer’s rhetoric.
At one point, Hayes asked, “What is the strategic plan?”
Schumer responded by outlining several economic issues that he believes unite the Democratic Party, followed by reiterating his talking points. He stated, “We have started doing this day in, day out, fighting relentlessly. His numbers have started to drop from 51 to 47; if we continue this effort, his numbers will decline further. He will not only become less popular but also less effective. Furthermore, we will identify the moments when we should withhold votes, where Hakeem [Jeffries, House Democratic Leader] and I met yesterday. We are currently exploring that, and there will be times, like this instance, where people will argue, ‘Don’t give them the votes, because you have the leverage.’ We will have the upper hand in these situations, and we will act accordingly.”
Hayes responded, “All of those things you mentioned, which sound like solid politics to me, are the kinds of actions you’d consider if Mitt Romney were president. There’s a strange asymmetry currently; they are acting aggressively to seize power and create a presidential dictatorship in the United States, while the Democratic opposition seems focused on lowering the approval rating a few points. What then?”
“What happens is, first we lower it significantly, and he will lose power. This strategy proved successful in 2017. You claim that ‘now it’s a different government,'” Schumer replied.
“It’s different, though,” Hayes interjected. “Oh God.”
Later in the conversation, when discussing the various court cases against Trump and his defiance, Hayes asked Schumer when he would consider the situation dire, as he does.
“In a genuine, good faith manner, many believe we are currently at that point, and I likely count myself among them,” Hayes stated.
“You may be right; I don’t think so. We’re not there yet. I believe we are approaching that point and must remain vigilant. I just met with the Judiciary Committee to strategize our approach. As this progresses, it hasn’t yet reached the Supreme Court, which would be the classic ‘if they disobey the Supreme Court, we’re on our way there.’ God forbid that happens. However, I believe we are moving towards that, and we must continue to engage persistently,” Schumer elaborated. “This is fundamentally different from anything we have experienced. It’s a quantum leap difference; if our democracy falters, it undermines 248 years of American democracy, the Magna Carta would be disregarded, and extraordinary action would be required from all of us.”
The post Chris Hayes Visibly Exasperated by Chuck Schumer’s Insistence Trump Hasn’t Threatened Democracy ‘Yet’: ‘My God’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
