Trump Tells Schumer To ‘GO TO HELL’ Over Senate Nominee Deal Demands
Hours of extensive discussions aimed at reaching a consensus on President Donald Trump’s nominations came to a head on Saturday night, leading lawmakers to begin their journey home.
Senate Republicans and Democrats swiftly pointed fingers at one another for the breakdown of the agreement, yet it was ultimately Trump who brought the negotiations to a close.
In a detailed message on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump accused Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., of “demanding over One Billion Dollars to approve a limited number of our highly qualified nominees.”
“This demand is outrageous and without precedent, and would bring embarrassment to the Republican Party if it were to be accepted. It is political extortion, by any other name,” Trump stated. “Tell Schumer, who is facing immense political pressure from the Radical Left Lunatics within his own party, to GO TO HELL!”
“Do not accept the offer,” he urged. “Return home and inform your constituents about the Democrats’ poor character and the excellent work the Republicans are doing, and have done, for our Country. Enjoy your RECESS and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”
Rather than facilitating a vote on as many as 60 of the president’s nominees, all of whom had received bipartisan support in committee, senators hastily voted on just seven before departing Washington until September.
However, Schumer interpreted Trump’s actions as a triumph for Senate Democrats. He contended that the president had walked away from negotiations while he and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., were pursuing a bipartisan resolution, “provided the White House and Senate Republicans complied with our demands.”
“He took his ball and went home, leaving both Democrats and Republicans perplexed about what transpired. Trump’s emphatic Tweet encapsulated the situation. In a moment of anger, Trump conceded defeat, sent Republicans away, and failed to engage in the fundamental task of negotiation,” Schumer remarked, positioned beside a large representation of the president’s message.
Nevertheless, before the president’s directive, members from both parties believed they were on the verge of finalizing an agreement that would satisfy Trump’s desire to have his nominees confirmed while simultaneously allowing them to leave Washington.
Thune remarked that “numerous proposals” were exchanged between him and Schumer during the discussions.
“There were multiple instances where I believe either side, or both, thought a deal was imminent,” he stated.
Senate Democrats sought the White House to release billions of dollars in funding for the National Institute of Health and foreign aid, along with a future assurance that no additional clawback packages would be issued by the White House.
In return, they would endorse several of Trump’s non-controversial nominees.
Oklahoma Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin accused Schumer of overreaching by increasing the demands’ cost.
“We’ve encountered three distinct agreements since last night,” he noted. “And each time, it has been, every time it’s ‘I want more,’” Mullin commented regarding Schumer’s requests.
Mullin asserted that Republicans were not surprised by Trump’s decision to cease negotiations and clarified that the White House had been significantly engaged in the discussions.
“You come to the realization that it was never about reaching an agreement,” Mullin continued. “They aim to portray the President as unrealistic, as he cannot respond to his base to negotiate a deal like previous presidents have done throughout history.”
Currently, Republicans have decided against pursuing recess appointments; nevertheless, Mullin indicated that a modification to the confirmation process will be enacted when lawmakers reconvene in September as a reaction.
“The requests have significantly evolved on both sides over time,” Thune remarked. “However, ultimately, we never reached a consensus where both parties agreed to finalize it.”
In contrast, Senate Democrats asserted that their proposal had remained unchanged and that Republicans persistently sought to increase the number of nominees they desired, attempting to incorporate more unpopular, partisan selections.
Schumer declined to disclose the details of his requests but contended that any alterations to Senate rules would constitute a “major error” and urged Trump to collaborate with Senate Democrats moving forward, particularly as Congress nears yet another federal funding deadline in September.