President Donald Trump sharply criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday, declaring him 'mentally gone' and suggesting his political career is over. Trump linked Schumer's struggles to pressure from the far-left wing of the Democratic Party. The remarks came amid discussions of party leadership shifts involving figures like New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump delivered what he framed as a political eulogy for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, stating, “It’s not Schumer. Schumer’s shot, he’s shot. This poor guy. I feel sorry for him. I’ve known him for a long time, but he’s — I think he’s mentally gone. He’s been beat up by young radical lunatics. And I think that Chuck Schumer is — he’s gonzo. I really do. I think he’s probably not going to run. It shows that he’s losing in every poll.” Trump added that Schumer wants to meet with him, but such a meeting would be awkward after these comments, emphasizing, “I’m just giving you the facts. I think Chuck is probably finished.”
The criticism arose when Trump was asked if the Democratic Party now aligns more with New York Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani than with Schumer or House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Trump replied, “Probably is. Maybe he’ll run for president in four years; you’ll have a communist president. That would be interesting.” He dismissed the prospect of socialism in America, saying, “I’ve always said, ‘You will never see — and I’ve always talked to you about socialism — you will never see a socialist so and so — and I was right. I say it in speeches: ‘We will not have socialism in our country,’ and I was right.” Trump described Mamdani as “a communist” who could become “maybe the mayor of New York” and “the leader of the party.”
Trump's remarks echo broader Republican critiques of Schumer's leadership. Last week, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY) accused Schumer of capitulating to far-left activists, citing a Politico headline: “Chuck Schumer’s critics are satisfied – for now.” Barrasso quoted the head of the activist group Indivisible, who said, “He hasn’t surrendered yet. I call that progress, and we’re cheering him on now.” Seven months earlier, the same leader had demanded, “Senator Schumer should step aside as leader. Every Democrat in the Senate should call for him to do so.” Barrasso highlighted Schumer's role in a government shutdown, noting he voted for clean continuing resolutions 13 times under President Joe Biden but orchestrated what Republicans call the “Schumer Shutdown” after huddling with far-left groups. Schumer reportedly told Punchbowl News, “We thought about this long in advance,” describing it as a premeditated strategy.