Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the Senate, has faced criticism from some Democratic governors for not strongly enough opposing Donald Trump’s agenda and cabinet nominees. The criticism came during a conference call between Schumer and six Democratic governors, who urged him to slow down the confirmation of Trump’s cabinet picks and generate more public opposition.
The governors, led by JB Pritzker of Illinois and Maura Healey of Massachusetts, argued that the party needed to focus on the impact of Trump’s policies on ordinary Americans, rather than just criticizing his “desecration” of American democracy. They also called for a higher television profile and a “down and dirty” digital strategy to counter Trump’s social media outreach.
Schumer responded by praising the work of Cory Booker, the New Jersey senator who is in charge of Senate Democrats’ social media strategy. He also noted that Democrats had damaged the political standing of two of Trump’s cabinet picks, Pete Hegseth and Robert F Kennedy Jr, during their confirmation hearings.
The conference call came as the Senate is set to confirm two of Trump’s most contentious cabinet picks, Robert F Kennedy Jr as health and human services secretary and Tulsi Gabbard for the role of national intelligence director. The governors’ criticism of Schumer’s approach reflects a growing divide within the Democratic Party over how to counteract Trump’s agenda.
