CNN’s Bash Belittles Jeffries On-Air Over ‘Schumer Shutdown’
CNN anchor Dana Bash surprised viewers this week when she actually pressed House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) on his party’s role in prolonging the ongoing “Schumer Shutdown.”
During a rare moment of journalistic accountability on CNN, Bash challenged Jeffries’ repeated attempts to blame Republicans — and President Donald J. Trump — for the budget stalemate that has left large parts of the federal government closed for weeks.
“So all of that is in the bill that you tried to pass, and it didn’t pass, that’s in your proposal, but you started that answer by saying we want to sit down and talk about it. That suggests that what you just said is negotiable, is it?” Bash asked.
Jeffries, visibly uncomfortable, dodged the question.
“I think we’re always ready and willing and able to have a good faith discussion with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle … to address the Republican health care crisis,” he said, repeating talking points about GOP “inaction.”
But Bash didn’t let him off the hook. She pointed out that Jeffries works “right down the hall” from House Speaker Mike Johnson, implying there’s nothing stopping him from initiating direct talks.
“You could probably take a few steps and go knock on the door and talk to him. Have you tried that?” Bash asked pointedly.
Jeffries then made the remarkable claim that Speaker Johnson hasn’t been “given permission” to talk to him or Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“Speaker Johnson hasn’t been given permission to have a conversation with me or Leader Schumer, and he said as much earlier today,” Jeffries said.
When Bash pressed again — “So you don’t think he would talk to you at all?” — Jeffries floundered, insisting that Republicans needed a “green light” from President Trump before any “meaningful” discussion could take place.
The interview highlighted how deeply divided Washington remains as the government shutdown stretches on. Despite a long weekend to regroup, Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked — for the eighth time — a GOP-led measure to reopen the government, even after warnings from the Trump administration about the economic fallout.
Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought said over the weekend that the White House would begin mass layoffs of nonessential federal employees if Democrats continue to stall.
President Trump, meanwhile, acted swiftly to protect the nation’s military families, ordering the Pentagon to reallocate funds so service members are paid on schedule, even as other federal operations remain suspended.
The same cannot be said for Senate staffers, who face another unfunded payday later this month — a direct result of Democrats’ refusal to compromise.
At the core of the stalemate is the Democrats’ demand to extend expiring Obamacare subsidies before the November 1 open enrollment deadline. Republicans, led by President Trump, have made clear they won’t agree to another bloated spending package.
“Democrats are trying to undo $1.5 trillion in spending cuts we already passed in the big, beautiful bill,” Trump said earlier this week. “We’re not going back to the waste and abuse of the Biden years.”
Despite the mounting pressure, Senate Democrats — led by Chuck Schumer — remain dug in, unwilling to give an inch on their spending demands.
For once, even CNN’s Dana Bash appeared frustrated by the Democrats’ obstruction. Her rare challenge to Jeffries underscored what millions of Americans already see clearly: the shutdown is a crisis of Schumer’s own making — and the blame lies squarely with the party that refuses to negotiate.