Schumer’s Shutdown Reversal Earns Trump’s Praise, Sparks Democrat Backlash
3 Takeaways on How a High-Stakes Budget Showdown Turned Into an Unlikely Display of Bipartisanship—and a Rift Among Democrats
1. The Near-Shutdown Standoff
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer initially vowed to block a Republican-led spending bill, risking a government shutdown. The sticking points included non-defense program cuts and no rollback of President Trump’s tariffs. With the deadline looming, Schumer reversed course, declaring on the Senate floor, “There are no winners in a government shutdown.” Critics contend this sudden pivot undercut the Democrats’ leverage, while supporters call it a necessary step to avoid chaos (BBC).
2. Trump’s Surprising Praise
Trump quickly took to social media to applaud Schumer’s decision, calling it a “courageous” move that “could lead to something big for the USA.” Trump’s statement highlighted potential cooperation on upcoming legislative priorities, from fresh tax cuts to debt-ceiling negotiations—an unusual moment of bipartisan goodwill in an otherwise polarized environment.
3. AOC’s “Dangerous” Critique
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) voiced her disapproval, blasting Schumer’s plan to advance the spending bill. Calling it “as dangerous as it is reckless,” she told CNN:
“It’s almost unthinkable why Senate Democrats would vote to hand the few pieces of leverage we have away for free when we’ve been sent here to protect Social Security, protect Medicaid, and protect Medicare.”
AOC argued the Republican-backed resolution “turns the federal government into a slush fund for Donald Trump and Elon Musk,” effectively handing the executive branch broad authority to slash or reshape federal programs.