WASHINGTON (BN24) — President Donald Trump lashed out at Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Saturday, telling the Democrat to “go to hell” in a fiery social media post as bipartisan talks over confirming a slate of presidential nominees crumbled and the Senate left Washington without a deal.
The impasse came after days of intense negotiations involving Senate Republican Leader John Thune, Schumer and White House officials aimed at resolving a standoff that had delayed confirmation of Trump’s nominees and threatened to derail the Senate’s August recess. Despite the flurry of backchannel talks, senators ultimately left Capitol Hill without action on key appointments, deepening partisan tensions.
Schumer had pushed for a series of concessions from the White House, including the release of frozen federal funds for programs like the National Institutes of Health and foreign aid, as well as a commitment from Trump to shelve any further attempts to pass so-called “rescission” packages that cut billions in previously approved funding. A $9 billion rescission plan had already been codified earlier this summer.
But Trump flatly rejected those conditions in a post on Truth Social, calling Schumer’s demands “egregious and unprecedented” and urging Republicans to reject any deal.
“Tell Schumer, who is under tremendous political pressure from within his own party, the Radical Left Lunatics, to GO TO HELL!” Trump wrote. “Do not accept the offer, go home and explain to your constituents what bad people the Democrats are, and what a great job the Republicans are doing, and have done, for our Country. Have a great RECESS.”
On the Senate floor Saturday evening, Thune sought unanimous consent to vote on a select group of nominees before breaking for the monthlong recess. But Democrats, who had been deliberately slowing down confirmation of Trump’s lower-level appointees, continued to wield procedural power to delay votes — frustrating Republicans hoping to clear the backlog.
Speaking at a news conference later that night, Schumer accused Trump of sabotaging progress just as both sides were nearing an agreement.
“In a fit of rage, Trump threw in the towel, sent Republicans home, and was unable to do the basic work of negotiating,” Schumer said, mocking the former president’s famed book with the remark, “Is this the ‘Art of the Deal’?”
Schumer declined to elaborate on the specifics of the stalled negotiations but said both parties had been closing in on several key points before Trump’s social media outburst upended the process.
“Donald Trump just pulled the rug out from under people,” Schumer said.
The White House and Thune’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The failed negotiations mark the latest flashpoint in the strained relationship between the Trump administration and Senate Democrats, with critical nominations and government funding hanging in the balance as the summer recess begins.
Source: newsweek.com
