It’s safe to say many liberal Democrats were none too pleased with how the government shutdown ended, blaming New York Senator Chuck Schumer for squandering his leverage over the White House to come up with a deal to create a path to citizenship for so-called Dreamers, undocumented people who immigrated to the U.S. as children. Schumer had offered Trump a quid pro quo: resolution of the Dreamer issue in return for funding for Trump’s beloved border wall. But Trump balked at the last minute–Schumer muttered that negotiating with the president was like negotiating “with Jell-O” and the Senator reportedly succumbed to pressure from moderate Democrats who saw a prolonged shutdown as a threat to their reelection prospects.
Progressives, of course, are livid that Schumer didn’t hold firm (at least in their eyes), so now Schumer has backtracked and withdrawn his offer of money for a wall.
"We cut the best deal that we could"
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer responds to backlash on Democrat vote to reopen the government and discusses meeting with President Trump https://t.co/av4W7FY3Iw pic.twitter.com/iQ03KPBacw
— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 24, 2018
Back to square one with another shutdown possible on February 8. And back to a fraught negotiation between Schumer and Donald Trump. The President has said he and Schumer have a good relationship and Trump even donated to past Schumer campaigns, but you’d never know that based on what these two say about each other now.
Cryin’ Chuck Schumer fully understands, especially after his humiliating defeat, that if there is no Wall, there is no DACA. We must have safety and security, together with a strong Military, for our great people!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2018
And remember when both tried to name the shutdown after one another. Was it the #SchumerShutdown or the #TrumpShutdown? Depends on who you asked.
This will be called the #TrumpShutdown. There is no one who deserves the blame for the position we find ourselves in more than President Trump. pic.twitter.com/WE3SH9TpRU
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 20, 2018
Americans don’t forget that the #SchumerShutdown put illegal immigrants ahead of our military and American children’s insurance. Just remember where you stood in their eyes.
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 23, 2018
Meanwhile, the Daily Beast reports that the goal for Trump’s team for the next few weeks is to keep Trump away from Schumer. Looks like the chances of them sharing another cheeseburger lunch anytime soon is unlikely, but you never know with these two.