Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer is embracing a bold message in the government shutdown standoff with President Trump and congressional Republicans: “No f——— way!”
The blunt slogan, featured in a new online video, is earning praise from liberal activists.
In the video, Mr. Schumer accuses Republicans of being “hell-bent on taking health care away from 60 million people, closing community clinics, rural hospitals, nursing homes — all so they can keep giving tax breaks to their billionaire friends.”
Standing against the backdrop of the New York City skyline, Mr. Schumer declares, “It’s a disgrace. So Democrats have three words for this: No f——— way!”
Mr. Schumer’s fiery rhetoric comes amid mounting pressure from the party’s left flank, which has grown increasingly frustrated with him and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, also of New York, since Democrats lost control of both chambers of Congress.
Some activists have called for Mr. Schumer to step aside and make room for new leadership.
In this instance, Mr. Schumer is winning plaudits.
David Hogg, gun control advocate and co-founder of Leaders We Deserve — a group backing primary challengers to long-serving Democrats — praised Mr. Schumer’s F-bomb message.
“Credit where it’s due this is a big step up in communicating what’s at stake and why we can’t let Republicans gut healthcare for millions just to hand billionaires one of the biggest tax cuts in U.S. history,” Mr. Hogg said on X. “Nice work @SenSchumer.”
Even so, Mr. Schumer’s leadership has faced intense scrutiny.
His and Mr. Jeffries’ refusal to endorse the party’s nominee, Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, for New York City mayor in next month’s election has further deepened divisions within the party.
Grassroots activists are even eyeing a potential 2028 Senate primary challenge from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a close ally of Vermont Sen. Bernard Sanders, signaling that the battle over the party’s future is far from over.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.