WEBVTT 00:01.900 --> 00:03.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% GEOFF BENNETT: The federal government is heading toward a shutdown one week 00:03.800 --> 00:07.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% from now with no potential solution in sight. President Trump canceled a 00:07.033 --> 00:11.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% planned meeting with Democratic congressional leaders, Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, 00:11.100 --> 00:16.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% saying what they're asking for in negotiations is unserious and ridiculous. 00:17.366 --> 00:18.633 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Senator Schumer joins us now from New York. 00:18.633 --> 00:20.366 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% It's good to see you, sir. 00:20.366 --> 00:23.333 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% So, why do you think President Trump canceled this meeting just a day 00:23.333 --> 00:28.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% after you announced it? And is there a path forward absent direct negotiation with him? 00:30.466 --> 00:34.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): Well, we hope there's a path forward to avoid this Trump shutdown. 00:36.400 --> 00:40.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% We have been trying for a long time to sit down, first with the Republican leaders, 00:42.633 --> 00:47.233 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% Speaker Johnson and John Thune, and they wouldn't sit down with us. And we wondered why. And then 00:49.600 --> 00:53.300 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% it came out clearly two weeks ago. Trump said, we don't need the Democrats. We can do it on our own. 00:55.433 --> 00:58.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Now, obviously, he doesn't know his math. You need 60 votes in the Senate. There are only 00:58.966 --> 01:03.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% 53 Republicans. So, of course, he should be sitting down. And that's what -- he is 01:06.066 --> 01:09.233 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% derelict in his duty as president. He should be sitting down with us. He said he would. Jeffries 01:11.300 --> 01:15.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% and I requested that we sit down together. They called us up and said Thursday 3:00. 01:17.366 --> 01:20.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And then yesterday, he canceled it. And he said - - yes, he said our proposals are ridiculous 01:20.300 --> 01:25.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% and radical. Well, they're not radical at all. To prevent the average American who 01:27.233 --> 01:31.300 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% is on ACA's health care bill from going up $5,000 a year is not radical. To try 01:33.266 --> 01:36.633 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% to keep so many rural hospitals which are in danger of closing is not radical. 01:36.633 --> 01:41.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% These are things the American people are totally on our side. The AC -- the big, 01:41.233 --> 01:46.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the so-called BBB, Big Beautiful Bill, which is a big ugly bill, is -- Americans don't like it; 01:49.533 --> 01:54.500 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% 68 percent of Americans don't like it, just about every Democrat, two-thirds -- up to two-thirds or 01:56.833 --> 02:00.233 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% three-quarters of independents, depending on which poll you look at, and even a third of Republicans. 02:00.233 --> 02:04.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So, of course, he should sit down with us. And let me say one more thing on this, Geoff. He's 02:04.866 --> 02:09.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% derelict. When I was majority leader for the four years, we never had a shutdown because I 02:12.166 --> 02:15.066 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% sat down with the Republican leader and we came to an agreement. This president is just -- he's 02:17.133 --> 02:20.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% not up to being president if he can't sit down and negotiate with the two Democratic leaders. 02:20.533 --> 02:24.466 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% GEOFF BENNETT: So if Republicans refuse to agree to restore cuts to health care 02:24.466 --> 02:29.466 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% and Medicaid funding, would Democrats be willing to let a shutdown happen? 02:30.966 --> 02:33.100 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER: Look, I hope it doesn't come to that. We're 02:33.100 --> 02:37.733 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% on our front foot in three ways with the American people on this. 02:37.733 --> 02:42.733 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% First, the Republicans control the presidency, the Senate, and the House. So the average American's 02:44.966 --> 02:48.266 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% going to say, they're in charge, they got to get this done. Second, when they -- when the American 02:50.700 --> 02:53.466 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% people hear that they won't even negotiate with us, they're appalled. And the data we have shown 02:55.733 --> 02:59.066 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% shows that, when people are asked if Republicans won't even sit down and negotiate with Democrats, 03:00.900 --> 03:04.500 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% 59 percent blame Trump for the shutdown and only 31 percent blame Democrats. 03:06.766 --> 03:09.933 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% But, finally and most importantly, we're trying to get things done that the American people want 03:12.066 --> 03:15.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% us to get done. And so I hope it won't come to that. I hope Trump will come to his senses. I 03:17.166 --> 03:20.633 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% hope other Republicans will quietly or otherwise whisper to him that this is 03:22.900 --> 03:26.500 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% not -- it's just not what a president should do. It's not how the government should function. 03:28.266 --> 03:32.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% GEOFF BENNETT: In March of 2025, you joined several Democrats in voting 03:32.400 --> 03:36.000 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% to avoid a shutdown. And you said on this program at the time that, 03:36.000 --> 03:41.000 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% as bad as that spending bill was -- this is a quote -- "A shutdown would be 15, 20 times worse." 03:42.033 --> 03:43.433 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% What's different this time around? 03:43.433 --> 03:45.666 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER: Three things are different. 03:45.666 --> 03:50.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% One, we have seen how bad and the American people have seen how bad Trump's policies 03:52.633 --> 03:55.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% are. They are just -- people don't -- are saying that Trump is not doing anything he 03:58.000 --> 04:00.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% wants. They're angry with Trump because of higher costs. Some of it's the tariffs. Some 04:00.866 --> 04:05.866 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% of it's what he did with electric rates, but a lot of it is due to health care. 04:07.266 --> 04:09.366 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% So that's a lot different than it was then. Second, 04:09.366 --> 04:13.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% they have shown that they're willing to go around the law if we don't stop them from 04:16.800 --> 04:21.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% that. And they have had these rescissions, they have had these impoundments, and they have just 04:23.866 --> 04:26.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% illegally in certain ways not funded the government. And that's even without a shutdown. 04:28.700 --> 04:33.300 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% And, third, we Democrats are united now. We are totally united in saying, 04:35.366 --> 04:37.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% we want to sit down, we want to negotiate. We're not going to get everything we want, 04:37.100 --> 04:39.300 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% they're not going to get everything they want, 04:39.300 --> 04:43.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% but to help deal with the chaos in health care caused by this big so-called beautiful bill. 04:45.900 --> 04:49.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% GEOFF BENNETT: And to what degree are you feeling pressure from Democrats 04:49.333 --> 04:54.333 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% who say that elected leaders should hold firm and fight? 04:55.633 --> 04:57.566 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER: Look, the bottom line is, 04:57.566 --> 05:01.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the majority of -- overwhelming majority of Democrats, both House and Senate, 05:01.100 --> 05:06.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% are united on what we -- on the fact that health care's a mess and we have to fix it. 05:08.166 --> 05:11.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And my caucus and I believe the House caucus is just appalled that the Republicans won't 05:12.900 --> 05:15.733 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% even sit down and negotiate with us. So it's not pressure from one 05:15.733 --> 05:20.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% group or another. It's sort of a universal feeling that what they're doing is totally, 05:20.000 --> 05:25.000 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% totally derelict. And if there is a shutdown, it's going to be a Trump shutdown on their shoulders. 05:26.766 --> 05:29.833 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% Who doesn't sit down and try to talk and work this out? Only people who 05:31.633 --> 05:35.433 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% don't really know how to be a president. We will sit down anywhere with him, 05:35.433 --> 05:39.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Geoff. We will go to a golf course and sit down with him. We will do anything to try 05:39.733 --> 05:44.733 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% and get some -- we will go anywhere, rather, to try and sit down and come up with an agreement. 05:47.333 --> 05:52.333 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% We're going to fight for health care, of course, in that. But 05:54.066 --> 05:57.333 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% they're just totally derelict, Trump is, in his responsibilities. 05:57.333 --> 05:59.200 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% GEOFF BENNETT: If... 05:59.200 --> 06:01.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER: And the American people know it, and they will know that, 06:01.533 --> 06:05.233 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% if God forbid there's a shutdown, it's a Trump shutdown, because he won't even talk to us. 06:05.233 --> 06:10.233 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% GEOFF BENNETT: If a shutdown occurs, what direct consequences should the American public expect? 06:12.166 --> 06:15.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER: Well, look, that will be -- again, we hope we can avoid 06:15.833 --> 06:20.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% a shutdown. We hope that better heads will prevail. But we will fight tooth and nail if 06:24.533 --> 06:28.233 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% they try to use the shutdown to hurt the American people. 06:28.233 --> 06:31.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% But that's why we want to avoid it. And that's what we're doing, everything we can 06:31.666 --> 06:36.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to avoid it right now. And, hopefully, Trump in the next few days will come to his senses. 06:39.500 --> 06:43.100 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% GEOFF BENNETT: One of the questions I have had for you, and I will use this occasion to ask it, 06:43.100 --> 06:48.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Democrats are outraged by what they see as President Trump's abuse of power. But has the way 06:50.333 --> 06:54.433 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% he's wielded power made you rethink how Democrats should govern if you regain the White House, 06:56.766 --> 07:01.533 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% given the tools, the expanded executive authority, and the approach that he will have left behind? 07:03.400 --> 07:06.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER: Well, look, he's done so much damage in so -- every day, 07:06.533 --> 07:10.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% it's something else. I mean, what they're trying to do, what Brendan Carr is trying to 07:10.800 --> 07:15.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% do -- and thank God Jimmy camel is back on the air -- is just so un-American. 07:17.933 --> 07:20.900 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% The First Amendment, for instance, is the core of things. And what Trump has tried to do is 07:22.833 --> 07:27.233 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% just make the government -- shut down any opposition to him in so many different 07:29.333 --> 07:32.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% ways. And I think we Democrats, should we get back power -- and the chances are increasing 07:32.400 --> 07:37.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% that we will because there's such negativity towards Trump and because people know we're 07:39.533 --> 07:43.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% fighting for them -- we are going to have to undo a lot of the bad things that Trump did. 07:45.000 --> 07:47.266 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% GEOFF BENNETT: But is there any thought about what a Democratic inverse would be 07:47.266 --> 07:52.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to all that Trump has done and likely will do in the remaining three years? 07:52.000 --> 07:56.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER: Well, we're going to have so -- if -- when we get back 07:56.466 --> 08:01.466 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% in -- even in 2026 -- and, as I said, the odds are looking better and better that we can retake 08:03.533 --> 08:06.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the House and retake the Senate -- there are going to be so many different things to do. 08:06.066 --> 08:09.900 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And we will figure out the best way to get each one done. 08:09.900 --> 08:12.466 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% GEOFF BENNETT: Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, we hope you will join 08:12.466 --> 08:17.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% us back on this program as we get closer to October 1. Thanks for your time, sir. 08:19.333 --> 08:20.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER: Thank you for having me, Geoff. Appreciate it very much.