Chuck Schumer is the Senate Minority Leader and a Democrat from New York. For years he has been at the center of his party’s strategy in the Senate, helping drive major bills like the CHIPS Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and bipartisan infrastructure legislation. He is 74, has led Senate Democrats through multiple showdowns with Republicans, and is already looking ahead to the 2026 midterms and the chance to reclaim the majority.
Now he is facing the most serious internal revolt of his leadership.
The immediate spark is the end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Eight members of the Democratic caucus joined Republicans to pass a continuing resolution that reopened much of the government until January 30 but left out an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies. Those subsidies were supposed to be Democrats’ nonnegotiable demand.
Schumer voted against the deal, but many in his party say that is not enough. They argue that he either quietly blessed the negotiations or failed to keep his caucus united when it mattered most. Either way, they say, it is a failure of leadership.
Why Critics Say Schumer Should Step Down
The anger at Schumer comes from several directions but revolves around the same theme. In their eyes, Democrats were winning the shutdown fight, Republicans and President Trump were shouldering the blame, and polls showed strong public support for protecting ACA subsidies. Then Democrats blinked.
Progressive writer David Dayen summed up the frustration by saying Democrats had the ability to block Trump’s power grab but chose to settle for a weak deal that lets the administration still dismantle agencies and withhold funds. He argued that Schumer was “in constant contact” with the eight Democrats negotiating the deal and either misled the public about his role or simply could not control his own caucus.
For many critics, that is the core of the case against him. A leader who cannot hold the line on healthcare, after calling ACA subsidies a “life or death” provision, has lost credibility.
The Democrats Demanding Schumer’s Ouster
A growing group of House Democrats and Senate hopefuls are publicly calling for Schumer to step down. None of them sit in his Senate caucus, but their attacks are loud and coordinated.
Here are the key voices and what they are saying:
- Rep. Ro Khanna (California)
Khanna has become one of the most prominent critics. He told CBS that “this deal would never have happened if he had not blessed it” and argued that senators themselves said Schumer was kept in the loop the whole time. Khanna said Schumer “is not meeting the moment” and is “out of touch with where the party’s base is.” On X he wrote that Schumer is “no longer effective and should be replaced,” asking, “If you can’t lead the fight to stop healthcare premiums from skyrocketing for Americans, what will you fight for?” - Rep. Delia Ramirez (Illinois)
Ramirez called the vote to reopen the government “an indefensible leadership failure.” On Facebook she wrote, “8 democrats caving to empty promises is an indefensible leadership failure. For the sake of our country, Schumer needs to resign.” She frames the issue as a betrayal of working families who expected Democrats to hold firm on health care. - Rep. Mike Levin (California)
Levin bluntly argued that Schumer is not rising to the moment. “Chuck Schumer has not met this moment and Senate Democrats would be wise to move on from his leadership,” he posted on X. - Rep. Rashida Tlaib (Michigan)
Tlaib, long critical of Schumer on other issues, said he “has failed to meet this moment and is out of touch with the American people.” She insisted that Democrats need leaders who “fight and deliver for working people” and declared that Schumer should step down. - Rep. Glenn Ivey (Maryland)
Ivey was one of the earliest Democrats to speak out. Back in March, he said, “I respect Chuck Schumer. I think he had a great, long-standing career. But I’m afraid that it may be time for the Senate Democrats to get a new leader.” He argued that with Hakeem Jeffries holding the House caucus together, Democrats need “the right leadership in the Senate” to match that unity and push back against Republicans. - Rep. Seth Moulton (Massachusetts)
Moulton is also running in a Senate primary and has used the issue to draw a sharp contrast. He accused Schumer of sending the wrong message to Donald Trump by caving on the shutdown and said it shows “why we need new leadership.” On X he wrote that if Schumer were effective, “he would have united his caucus to vote ‘No’ tonight and hold the line on healthcare.” He has even challenged Sen. Ed Markey not to vote for Schumer in future leadership elections. - Rep. Mark Pocan (Wisconsin)
Pocan blasted Schumer’s overall strategy, accusing him of allowing a “terrible ‘deal’ that does nothing real about healthcare” and “screwing over a national political party.” His criticism ties the shutdown compromise to broader frustrations with Democratic leadership choices. - Rep. Ayanna Pressley (Massachusetts)
Pressley did not use Schumer’s name directly when asked about leadership, but her meaning was clear. She said Democrats are in an “unprecedented moment” that “demands new leadership, a different approach.” She added she was “very disappointed in the eight Democrats that did not hold the line,” hinting that top leadership also shares responsibility. - Rep. Shri Thanedar (Michigan)
Thanedar cited a poll from Our Revolution of 3,500 progressive voters in which 90 percent said Schumer should step aside and 92 percent said they would back a primary challenger. He concluded, “It’s time for Schumer to go.” - Senate hopefuls Graham Platner and Mallory McMorrow (Maine)
Running in tight primaries, both have used Schumer as a foil. Platner said, “This happened because Chuck Schumer failed in his job yet again.” McMorrow declared, “The old way of doing things is not working. We need new leaders in the Senate.”
Together, these critics paint a picture of a leader who, in their view, caves under pressure, fails to protect core priorities, and misreads an energized progressive base.
Who Is MoveOn.org and What Are They Saying?
MoveOn.org is a major progressive organizing network that runs petitions, mobilizes volunteers, and supports campaigns through MoveOn Civic Action and MoveOn Political Action. On its petition platform, activists launched a campaign titled “Step Down as Minority Leader!” directed at Chuck Schumer.
The petition argues that Trump and Republicans are “doubling health care premiums, weaponizing our military against us, and ripping food away from children.” It says Democrats need leaders “who won’t cave, who won’t back down, and who will serve as a forceful opposition party.” In its view, “Chuck Schumer is not that leader.”
The petition claims that renewed calls for Schumer to step down followed the “disastrous decision” of eight Democratic senators to vote to reopen the government without winning any concessions on the issues that sparked the shutdown. It says Democrats had clear public support and that polls “showed that Americans supported Democrats for driving a hard bargain to protect ACA subsidies” while blaming Republicans and Trump for the shutdown.
According to the petition, by accepting the deal, Schumer and Senate Democrats “sold the American people out” and “sent a message to Trump that his bullying, abuse, and cruelty will go unchecked.” It concludes that “Schumer must step down” so new leadership can “listen to and deliver for the people.”
The petition has gathered tens of thousands of signatures, along with sharply worded comments from signers who call Schumer “feckless” and accuse him of betraying the progressive movement.
Is There Enough Support to Force Schumer Out?
Despite the noise, there is an important reality check. So far, none of the Democrats calling for Schumer’s ouster are members of his Senate caucus. Inside the Senate, the mood is very different.
Reports from multiple Democratic sources say there is “no appetite for an immediate Schumer ouster.” Under Senate Democratic caucus rules, it takes only a single senator to trigger a leadership vote by proposing changes to party rules, but no one has done so.
Key senators are frustrated with the shutdown outcome but cautious about blaming Schumer.
- Sen. Chris Murphy said Schumer “did not want this to happen” and “pressed hard for it not to end like this,” but admitted, “He did not succeed.” Murphy argued that the deeper problem is a recurring pattern where “the minority of members are reaching deals with Republicans,” something any leader would struggle to control.
- Sen. Dick Durbin, Schumer’s longtime deputy, actually voted for the deal. He said Schumer gave the eight senators “neither a blessing or a curse” and called the situation “a hard assignment” that Schumer “handled well.”
- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, one of the central negotiators, said Schumer did not try to dissuade her and that she believed more time would not change the outcome. She and others judged that another day or week of shutdown “was not going to make a difference.”
Other senators are more cryptic. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Democrats “did not hold the line” and that the party needs to be more effective in fighting to lower family costs. Sen. Chris Van Hollen said Democrats must “figure out a better strategy going forward” but declined to talk about Schumer directly.
At the same time, Schumer has important allies. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was asked if Schumer was effective and should keep his job. His answer was, “Yes and yes,” adding that Schumer had waged a “valiant fight on behalf of the American people.” Freshman Sen. Ruben Gallego said this was “a decision made by eight people” and stated plainly, “I have confidence in him.”
Even Sen. Bernie Sanders, who called Schumer part of the “establishment” and said he could make the case that Schumer “has done a lot of bad things,” still questioned who could realistically replace him and did not endorse removing him now.
All of this suggests that, at least in the short term, the votes are not there in the Senate to push Schumer out.
How Schumer Is Defending Himself
Publicly and privately, Schumer is trying to project calm. He insists he will not step down and is focused on winning back the majority in 2026. He has declined to say whether he will run for another Senate term in 2028, which has only fueled speculation about his long-term future.
In defending his handling of the shutdown, Schumer argues that allowing it to continue would have been worse. He has said that a prolonged shutdown would have unleashed greater damage by giving the executive branch more unilateral power and allowing Donald Trump to make sweeping federal cuts.
Behind the scenes, Schumer’s allies say he repeatedly urged Democratic negotiators to hold out for more concessions and told them he could not support the deal they were shaping. He met with both centrists and progressives, argued that Democrats were winning the shutdown fight, and claimed that cracks were starting to appear among Republicans.
Yet eight Democrats, plus Independent Angus King, went ahead anyway. Schumer did not vote for the deal, but he did not or could not stop them. That is the line that even sympathetic senators acknowledge. As Murphy put it, “He did not succeed. Let’s not sugarcoat that.”
Schumer seems to view the current backlash as part of the price of leadership. He is far from the first party leader to face rebellion from his base. Republicans saw years of conservative anger aimed at Mitch McConnell, who still held onto his position and defeated a leadership challenge. Schumer appears to be betting that he can do the same.
The struggle over Chuck Schumer is about much more than one man. It highlights deep strategic questions for Democrats in the era of Donald Trump.
First, it shows the growing power and impatience of the party’s progressive wing. Grassroots groups, online petitions, and primary challengers are no longer satisfied with symbolic fights. They want leaders who are willing to keep the government shut, if necessary, to secure concrete wins on health care and to block what they see as an aggressive right wing agenda.
Second, it exposes the divide between activists and elected senators. Outside the chamber, activists see little difference between Schumer voting no on the deal and Schumer failing to stop it. Inside the chamber, senators see a complex, months-long negotiation in which different factions calculated risk differently and leadership could not command total discipline.
Third, it raises the question of succession. Even critics like Bernie Sanders point out that there is no clear consensus alternative to Schumer. Many senators still see him as the person who recruited them, helped run campaigns, and knows how to manage the internal politics of the caucus.
For now, the bottom line is clear.
The calls for Chuck Schumer to step down are loud, emotional, and growing among House progressives, activists, and Senate hopefuls. MoveOn and other groups are channeling grassroots anger into petitions and pressure campaigns. But inside the Senate, where the actual leadership vote would happen, there is no organized revolt and no challenger waiting in the wings.
Schumer has survived one shutdown revolt and is trying to weather another. Whether this storm ends his leadership will depend less on today’s angry statements and more on what happens in January, in the 2026 midterms, and in the continuing battle over health care and the direction of the Democratic Party itself.
