Pelosi Jabs Schumer for Caving to Trump: ‘Don’t Give Away Anything for Nothing’

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer faced criticism from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday over his recent vote alongside Republicans to avert a government shutdown.

Speaking at a press conference in San Francisco, Pelosi expressed confidence in Schumer’s ability to continue leading Senate Democrats but suggested he had conceded too much to the GOP when he unexpectedly supported their government funding proposal.

“I myself don’t give away anything for nothing,” Pelosi remarked. “I think that’s what happened the other day.”

She elaborated on her concerns, asserting that Democrats might have had a chance to push Republicans toward a compromise. “We could have, in my view, perhaps gotten [Republicans] to agree to a third way,” she said, referencing an alternative approach that would have extended current government funding for an additional 30 days while negotiations continued on a larger deal.

“They may not have agreed to it, but at least the public would have seen them not agreeing to it — then [Republicans] would have been shutting the government down,” Pelosi argued.

Prior to last week’s vote, Pelosi had urged Senate Democrats to oppose Schumer’s plan and reject the six-month funding measure.

“Donald Trump and Elon Musk have offered Congress a false choice between a government shutdown or a blank check that makes a devastating assault on the well-being of working families across America. This false choice that some are buying instead of fighting is unacceptable,” she declared in a statement.

Despite her criticisms, Pelosi emphasized her focus on future legislative battles.

“I’m concerned about the next time. I’m concerned about the future,” she stated. “What happened last week was last week. We’re going into the future.”

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Meanwhile, promotional events for Schumer’s book, “Antisemitism in America: A Warning,” were postponed.

“Due to security concerns, Senator Schumer’s book events are being rescheduled,” his spokesperson confirmed. The book is set to release on Tuesday.

Fox News reported that multiple scheduled appearances for Schumer had been canceled due to “security concerns.”

As the nation braced for a potential partial government shutdown, Schumer drew ire from some Democrats by supporting a procedural move that allowed a Trump-backed funding bill to be considered.

While acknowledging that the “bill is very bad,” Schumer defended his decision, stating before the vote, “the potential for a shutdown has consequences for America that are much, much worse.”

His decision sparked further scrutiny after House Minority Leader and New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries declined to comment on whether Schumer should remain in his leadership role.

Former Obama administration official Van Jones, speaking on CNN, remarked that he had never witnessed such intense frustration directed at a fellow Democrat.

“We can be grumpy. We can be frustrated with each other, there is a volcanic eruption of outrage at Leader Schumer because we want a Mitch McConnell. I remember when Obama had all the cards, Mitch McConnell drove Obama nuts, twisted his pinky, broke his kneecaps, and got stuff done for Republicans when they shouldn’t have gotten an inch, they got miles,” Jones stated.

“We have a Senate majority leader who is beloved in this party, but we want somebody who’s gonna stand up to this bully. Stand up to this bully. Do something. And if you shut the government down and it gets a little bit crazy, at least some politics is about the rationality. There’s an emotional need to stop Donald Trump and Elon Musk from running over this party. And I think Chuck Schumer has radically misread the room,” he continued.

Similarly, New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez voiced her frustration with Schumer during an interview with CNN host Jake Tapper.