Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders announced today that he will not support Sen. Chuck Schumer as the Democrat Leader next year.
Sen. Bernie Sanders said Tuesday he will not support Minority Leader Chuck Schumer as leader of the Democratic caucus next year.
Sanders announced his decision at a news conference with Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) shortly after Democrats huddled in their first full caucus meeting since returning to Washington following sweeping midterm election victories.
Schumer this week has begun to face pockets of opposition within his ranks, and several outside advocacy groups have weighed in against his retaking the perch. But no other senator has officially entered the race against him.
Here’s the video Sanders released this afternoon.
The Democratic Party needs a new and bold direction. I will not support Chuck Schumer’s reelection as Democratic leader. https://t.co/2cSqp25Y4x
— Sen. Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) November 10, 2026
Sen. Elissa Slotkin said she wanted either a challenge to Schumer or a plan from him on what he would do next. Specifically, she wanted to see action on the affordability agenda.
Slotkin stopped short of ruling out support for Schumer but said she would withhold her vote until he or another candidate presented a concrete plan for governing.
“Whoever wants my vote is going to have to show me a concrete plan that’s definitively different,” Slotkin said. “I’m a no until and unless I see that from anyone.”
She also encouraged colleagues to consider withholding a quorum in the leadership election if only one candidate emerges and senators have not received sufficient assurances about the party’s direction.
It’s true that she didn’t absolutely refuse to support him, but she did say it is time for new leadership.
REPORTER: Are you a no on Schumer? SANDERS: “Yes” SLOTKIN: “Whoever wants my vote is gonna have to show me a concrete plan…” https://t.co/yNlzwfMIro
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 10, 2026
Schumer was asked about the challenges from two of his colleagues. “Senator Sanders just held a press conference where he said he cannot support you for leader. Senator Slotkin was with him…how do you respond to that?” a reporter asked. Here’s Schumer’s response.
REPORTER: “Senator Sanders just held a press conference where he said he cannot support you for leader. Senator Slotkin was with him…how do you respond to that?” SCHUMER: “I’m confident I will be elected Majority Leader, and our caucus is really united…” https://t.co/niQPutpf04
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 10, 2026
But Schumer is not popular among some of the newly elected progressives. Annie Andrews, Adam Hamilton, Troy Jackson and Abdul El-Sayed have all previously said they would not support Schumer as leader. So it is more than just Sanders and Slotkin.
Meanwhile, there’s at least one Senator who is behind Schumer this afternoon. He can count on John Fetterman. I’m sure he’s thrilled.
🚨 JOHN FETTERMAN STANDS BY CHUCK SCHUMER – TAKES SHOT AT CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: “NO RECORD OF DOING ANYTHING!” LindellTV’s @alisonintheknow pressed @SenFettermanPA on growing calls for @SenSchumer to step aside as Senate Democratic Leader. @JohnFetterman made his position clear:
“I absolutely stand with Schumer. I’m going to vote for Schumer.” But he didn’t stop there, taking a swipe at fellow Democrat @ChrisVanHollen: “I can’t imagine why you would vote for someone like Van Hollen with no record of doing anything.”— LindellTV (@RealLindellTV) November 10, 2026
So where else is this opposition coming from? It seems to be coming from outside the chamber, from people like Jon Stewart. He’s been saying Schumer should go since last week.
Jon Stewart on Chuck Schumer: “Someone has to meet this moment. You have an opportunity to actually govern. One of the first things you need to do is remove that system of seniority from Democratic politics. It’s a bullshit system and it needs to go. Chuck Schumer fought tooth and nail against half of these fucking people. He does not understand the urgency of the moment and what the future demands”
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) November 5, 2026
Other lefties are echoing that call.
The disgusting privilege and entitlement from a guy with HALF Trump’s approval rating. Nuke the seniority system and the egos of these pricks squandering the massive democratic energy.
— Secular Talk ([email protected]) (@KyleKulinski) November 10, 2026
No one wants you.
— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) November 10, 2026
It looks to me like all the people who’ve always hated Schumer are now jumping on this bandwagon hoping to push him out now so they can seize the moment. Here’s Sanders making his case on Stewart’s show.
Should Chuck Schumer be the Senate Majority Leader? Sen. Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) weighs in. New pod tomorrow! https://t.co/94yFjcS2rq
— The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart (@weeklyshowpod) November 10, 2026
Will it work? It probably won’t but the progressives are always eager to seize more power by shouting about it. Speaking of which, there was some kind of anti-Schumer protest today. The protesters got themselves arrested.
Far left activists just got ARRESTED inside the Senate for protesting Chuck Schumer The group Get Free held a sit-in demanding he make “civil rights a top priority,” which to them means bringing back the DEI programs Trump wiped out Capitol Police hauled them out, and the group says 3 were arrested They fed the radical left for a decade, and now it’s eating them alive. LMAO
— American AF 🇺🇸 (@iAnonPatriot) November 10, 2026
This may not go anywhere but the vote to select the next leader won’t happen until next month so the progressives have a little more time to try to rally people to their side.
Editor’s Note: The Democrat Party has been infected by socialism, and it’s spreading FAST. Democrats are claiming there’s nothing to worry about, but we know the truth.
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