TRANSCRIPT: Leader Schumer Remarks On Trump’s Failed Negotiations, Senate Democrats Grinding Trump’s Unqualified Nominees To A Halt, And Republicans Going Home With Nothing

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke at a media availability to address Donald Trump’s failed negotiations, as Senate Republicans jet off to August Recess without extracting any concessions on additional nominees or expedited process. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Leader Schumer: Now, it's been a long day—I appreciate everyone being around—so let's be clear about what happened. Donald Trump attempted to steamroll the Senate to put in place his historically unqualified nominees, but Senate Democrats wouldn't let him. We've been working all week to try and find a reasonable path to allow bipartisan Senate consideration, provided the White House and Senate Republicans met our demands.

Obviously, the two sides disagree on a whole lot of things, but we were serious about trying to make some progress. But ultimately, Trump wouldn't agree. He took his ball, he went home—leaving Democrats and Republicans alike wondering, “What the hell happened?”

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.

One of these days, Trump is going to have to learn that he needs to work with Democrats to help the American people. The Trump-Republican “go-it-alone” strategy ain't working, and the American people aren't happy. As we look ahead to the fall, Republicans have to make a decision moving forward: they can work to find common ground with Democrats to deliver for our constituents—for our country. Just look at the three appropriation bills we passed this week. It shows that Democrats, when Republicans are willing to work with us, will work with them. Or the Republicans can continue to go at it alone, following Donald Trump down a dangerous path that hurts their party and hurts the American people.

Because after all, who is hurt the most when Republicans go at it alone? It's the American people back home. When they go at it alone, their hard-right, angry people who don't represent America get their way. But when they work with us, that can't happen, because we won't let the hard right get its way.

So when Republicans chose to go it alone, they ripped health care away from 15 million Americans. When Republicans chose to go it alone, they ended up imposing Medicaid cuts, shuttering rural hospitals, and now they're preparing to allow health care premiums to skyrocket. These health care premiums are going through the roof, and people are going to start learning about it as early as September—and certainly in October—and they're going to hate it. This isn't just a $10 increase. These are hundreds and even thousands of dollars that they're going to pay more. And not just Medicaid, not just Medicare, but just about everybody, because we've been talking to the health insurers, and that's what's happening because of the "Big, Ugly Betrayal" that they call their "BBB."

Now, it doesn't have to be that way. My Republican colleagues know that when we are able to land bipartisan deals and get painfully close on a fair deal to bipartisan nominees, we can get something done. But of course, they tried—some of them in the Republican caucus tried to work with us. Donald Trump pulled the rug out from under them. And again, no one knows what the hell he did and why he did it. They're befuddled. Many of the Republicans told me they're totally confused. But they all know one thing: Donald Trump didn't get his way. Donald Trump didn't get his way.

Again, this shows it. He bullied us. He cajoled us. He called us names. And he went home with nothing—nothing. Americans, whether Democrat, Republican, Independent—they want us to put them first. Instead, the Republican go-it-alone strategy has been devastating for American families: higher prices on everything from health care to groceries to utility bills to essential goods. That is not what voters had in mind when they handed Republicans very narrow majorities in Congress and a paper-thin presidential victory to Donald Trump.

So let me say it again: 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.

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Reporter: I just wanted to ask about possible rules change because Republicans are saying they want to do that in September. Some of their ideas are similar to things that Democrats proposed in the Biden administration. Is that something you would –

Schumer: It would be a huge mistake for them to do it. A huge mistake.

Reporter: Why would it be a huge mistake?

Schumer. Because when they go at it alone, they screw up for the American people and for themselves.

Reporter: Are there any rules changes that you could potentially agree to in September?

Schumer: We should be working together on legislation to get things done for the American people. That's the way to go. Not changing the rules, because when they change the rules, they say only we're going to decide what's good for the American people and every time they do that, the American people lose.

Reporter: The Republicans Senators said to me that you were seeking, that you were asking the White House to unfreeze some aid for the Palestinians in Gaza. Is that accurate?

Schumer: 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. They should stop listening to him. If they want to do what's good for the American people, they shouldn't be in blind obeisance to Donald Trump.

Reporter: Can you tell us who you were talking to in the White House?

Schumer: Look, I'm not getting into the details, but we've talked to the White House and we've mostly talked to Thune, who would then talk to the White House, and that didn't work out too well for Thune or the White House. Yes.

Reporter: Is there the possibility of revisiting this in September and reaching a deal then or is it completely –

Schumer: Look, the bottom line is what we ought to be doing in September is making sure we do the appropriations bills in a bipartisan way. We ought to be making sure that we protect the American people from the hard-right craziness that just hurts them all the time, and the only way to do that is bipartisanship.

Last one.

Reporter: Have you talked to Thune about a CR or what the plan is for funding the government?

Schumer: We've talked vaguely about broad issues, but not that specifically yet. We will. Okay.

Thank you, everybody.

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