Trump Slams Schumer for ‘Holding America Hostage’ in Manufactured Shutdown Crisis
President Donald Trump on Tuesday forcefully accused Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and his Democratic allies of “holding the entire federal government hostage” as the nation’s longest shutdown in decades stretches into its third week. Speaking before business leaders in the White House Rose Garden, President Trump made clear that Republicans would not surrender to what he called “political extortion” from the Left.
“Chuck Schumer and the Senate Democrats need to vote for the clean, bipartisan CR and reopen our government. It’s got to be reopened right now,” President Trump said. “They are the obstructionists. And the reason they’re doing it is because we’re doing so well. We’re doing well all over the world.”
The government shutdown, now in its 21st day, began when Democrats rejected a temporary funding measure to keep the government operating. Instead, they demanded billions more for pet climate and housing initiatives and resisted stronger immigration enforcement. As a result, federal agencies have curtailed services, with thousands of employees either furloughed or working without pay — all while Democrats continue to play political games.
President Trump placed the blame squarely where it belongs — on Schumer’s shoulders. “You can call it the Schumer shutdown or the Democrats’ shutdown — call it whatever you want,” Trump said. “We will not be extorted on this crazy plot of theirs.”
The president also ridiculed Schumer’s weakening influence within his own party, pointing to internal Democrat polling woes and a rising progressive insurgency. “He’s even losing to AOC, plus three,” Trump quipped, referring to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her radical allies.
President Trump emphasized that Democrats are fighting to preserve “wasteful programs” and “pet projects” that his administration has been cutting out of the budget to protect taxpayers. “Many of the things that they wanted are things that we don’t want — things that are just so bad for our country, and we’re cutting those things out,” he said.
He praised Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought for his leadership in reforming federal spending. “You know, they call him Darth Vader. I call him a fine man,” Trump said. “But he’s cutting Democrat priorities, and they’re never going to get them back.”
President Trump urged Senate Democrats to “stop the madness” and put the country before their political ambitions. “In the greatest moment in the history of our country, in terms of wealth, in terms of job creation, and in terms of investment coming in, these guys go on strike. It’s really a shame,” he said. “So I’m asking them to be smart. It’s not working. They’re getting killed in the polls. The public understands what they’re doing. They’re doing the wrong thing.”
Republican leaders have echoed the president’s message, accusing Democrats of using the shutdown as a weapon to derail his immigration enforcement efforts and to protect bloated domestic programs. Democrats, in turn, have claimed that the president is asserting his constitutional authority too effectively — a charge that underscores their true frustration.
The standoff has deepened fractures within the Democratic Party itself. Progressives are urging Schumer to adopt a harder anti-Trump posture, while moderate Democrats grow increasingly uneasy about the political cost of prolonging the shutdown.
President Trump, ever the strategist, seized on that internal turmoil. “I think he’s mentally gone. He’s been beat up by young radical lunatics — and I think Chuck Schumer is, he’s gonzo,” the president said later on social media.
White House officials reaffirmed that the administration remains open to dialogue but will not cave to partisan ransom demands. “The president has been clear — the government will reopen when Democrats stop holding it hostage for political gain,” one senior aide said.
For now, Schumer’s brinkmanship continues to paralyze Congress — and voters appear to know exactly who to blame.