Schumer Shakes Off AOC Primary Threat, Zeros In on Trump

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer brushed aside the idea of a potential primary challenge from progressive powerhouse Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. This comes amid growing discontent from some Democrats over his recent support for a Republican-led spending bill to avert a government shutdown.

In an interview with The New York Times, Schumer kept his cool when asked about whispers of Ocasio-Cortez being encouraged to run against him for New York's Senate seat in 2028. "That's a long time away," he said. Translation: He's not losing sleep over it—yet.

Ocasio-Cortez, a sharp critic of Schumer's support for the short-term funding measure, hasn’t held back. Speaking to CNN's Jake Tapper, she accused Schumer of prioritizing Republicans and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) over the Democratic base. "I believe that’s a tremendous mistake," she said, signaling that the progressive wing of the party is far from pleased.

Schumer, for his part, defended his stance, stating that while the bill was "very bad," the consequences of a government shutdown were far worse. "I am focused on bringing Trump's numbers down, his popularity down, exposing what he has done to America and what he will do," Schumer said. Clearly, his battle plan for now is taking on Trump, not sparring within his own party.

Meanwhile, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut added fuel to the fire, slamming the funding measure in a column for MSNBC. She argued it "gives Elon Musk and President Donald Trump even more flexibility to steal from the middle class, from seniors, from veterans, from working people, from small businesses, and from farmers, all to pay for tax breaks for billionaires." Ouch. That’s a takedown worthy of a mic drop.

The growing divide among Democrats over the bill underscores the tension between the party's progressive and establishment wings—a rift that doesn’t seem to be healing anytime soon. Schumer’s office, however, has stayed mum on the criticism, declining to comment to media outlets.