January 1, Senate Standoff Grows After Trump Rejects Deal

Wyatt’s Take

• Senators left Washington without a deal on Trump’s nominees.
• President Trump blasted Schumer for demanding more money and called it “political extortion.”
• Democrats stalled the process while Republicans fought for their picks.

President Trump called out Democrats after the Senate adjourned without a deal to confirm more of his nominees. Instead of the usual August break, Trump had told Republican senators to stick around and get more cabinet members and judges approved. He was fiery as ever, especially in his message to Senate Democrat leader Chuck Schumer.

Schumer reportedly asked the White House to unfreeze about $1 billion for foreign aid and NIH funding in return for speeding up confirmation of more of Trump’s appointees. The President was having none of it.

In his own words:

“Senator Cryin’ Chuck Schumer is demanding over One Billion Dollars in order to approve a small number of our highly qualified nominees, who should right now be helping to run our Country. This demand is egregious and unprecedented, and would be embarrassing to the Republican Party if it were accepted.”

He didn’t stop there. Trump added, “It is political extortion, by any other name. Tell Schumer, who is under tremendous political pressure from within his own party, the Radical Left Lunatics, to GO TO HELL! Do not accept the offer, go home and explain to your constituents what bad people the Democrats are, and what a great job the Republicans are doing, and have done, for our Country. Have a great RECESS and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”

The Senate went ahead and confirmed some additional nominees on Friday and Saturday, but then wrapped up and left town late without a final deal between Republicans, Democrats, and the White House.

Senator Schumer, of course, looked to shift the blame, saying Trump “threw in the towel instead of continuing to negotiate.” According to Schumer:

“Trump’s all-cap tweet says it all. In a fit of rage, Trump threw in the towel, sent Republicans home, and was unable to do the basic work of negotiating. Is this the ‘Art of the deal?’ Posture, cajole, stamp your feet, and then give up? This says it all. Donald Trump tried to bully us, go around us, threaten us, call us names—but he got nothing, and he walked away with his tail between his legs.”

He went on to claim that Trump “attempted to steamroll the Senate to put in place his historically unqualified nominees, but Senate Democrats wouldn’t let him.” Schumer said Democrats had been “working all week” to find what he called a “reasonable path,” but accused Trump of pulling the rug out from under his own people twice. When asked if the deal involved sending aid to Gaza, Schumer dodged:

“Look, I’m not going to get into the details. Obviously, we’d all like to help Gaza, but the bottom line is we were getting close on a whole lot of issues and Donald Trump just pulled the rug out from under people. And even before that, when it looked like we were getting close a day before, he again called in and screwed it all up… If they want to do what’s good for the American people, they shouldn’t be in blind obeisance to Donald Trump.”

Schumer argued that Trump should work with Democrats to make deals, boasting, “Sooner or later, Donald Trump—Mr. ‘Art of the Deal,’ or so he claims—is going to have to learn that he has to work with Democrats if he wants to get deals, good deals, that help the American people. Going at it alone will be a failed strategy. It’s the wrong choice for Republicans. It’s the wrong choice for the American people.”

Reports say Republican Leader John Thune is now looking at the so-called “nuclear option,” which would cut down the debate time and speed up votes when the Senate returns in September. For now, Democrats aren’t letting lower-level Trump picks—or his judges—sail through by voice vote, making every confirmation take hours.

Wyatt Matters

This whole standoff makes it clear: the D.C. swamp would rather play games than get good people confirmed to serve our country. Middle America knows the work never gets done when politicians haggle over backroom deals and demand more spending. We want leaders who stand strong—no more bending to leftist schemes or giving in just to get along. Conservatives need to fight for honest, hardworking Americans, not just inside deals and D.C. drama. That’s the only way we’ll ever get this country back on track.

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