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Although the longest government shutdown in American history has come to an end, those in the media have not let up on their criticisms of Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer's handling of the situation.
Media personalities, from late-night comedians to former White House aides, have come out in opposition to Schumer after eight Senate Democratic caucus members broke with their party leaders and signaled the beginning of the end of the longest shutdown in nation's history.
Schumer and the Democratic caucus had demanded throughout the shutdown that they would only vote to reopen the government if they received an ironclad deal on expiring Obamacare subsidies.
DAVID AXELROD SAYS CHUCK SCHUMER IS 'IN BIGGER TROUBLE' AFTER GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN TURMOIL
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has been the top target of the Democratic Party's base for his handling of the government shutdown. (Tom Brenner/Getty Images)
But that deal never materialized. Instead, the eight senators took the offer that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has made since the beginning — a guarantee to vote on legislation that would deal with the subsidies.
Following Sunday’s vote to reopen the government, numerous media figures had strong words for Schumer:
David Axelrod
David Axelrod, former advisor to President Barack Obama. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Former Obama advisor David Axelrod told a CNN panel last week he believes Schumer is "in bigger trouble" within his own party following the end of the government shutdown.
CNN host Anderson Cooper asked Axelrod whether Schumer "could be in trouble" with the "left flank" of the Democratic Party after members of his caucus voted alongside Republicans to reopen the government.
"I think he's been in trouble — I think he is in bigger trouble now," Axelrod responded. "My guess is that he won’t be leader of the party in 2027 after this election, unless something really surprising happens."
DEMOCRATS, LEFT EMPTY-HANDED IN SHUTDOWN, TURN FURY ON SCHUMER
Jen Psaki
MSNBC host Jen Psaki speaks at the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival in Austin, Tx. on Sept. 6, 2024. (Joseph A. Wulfsohn/Fox News Digital)
On Tuesday’s episode of MSNBC’s "The Briefing," host Jen Psaki wondered "what happened" to Schumer after his caucus accepted Thune’s deal to reopen the government.
During the show, Psaki played a video showing Schumer discussing the shutdown in early October. The Democratic senator said at the time that Republicans were "hellbent on taking healthcare away from 60 million people," adding, "Democrats have three words for this: No f---ing way. It’s literally life or death."
"That guy was fiery. There was ominous music. He swore. I mean, there was a lot in that video. What happened to that guy? And of course, Democrats had every reason to feel like they were in a good position to keep up the fight. I mean for a range of reasons," Psaki said after the video, pointing to NBC News polling that found more voters blamed Republicans for the shutdown than Democrats.
"And that was before Democrats absolutely cleaned the clocks of Republicans all across the country [on Election Day 2025]. Signaling that voters were behind their efforts to stand up to this administration," she added.
Seth Meyers
Late-night host Seth Meyers called out Sen. Chuck Schumer over the shutdown on Monday, Nov. 11, 2025. (NBC/SethMeyers)
"Late Night" host Seth Meyers criticized Democrats throughout his show the day after the shutdown vote, questioning why they thought it was time to "cave" to President Donald Trump.
"Democrats have finally backed Trump into a corner. Polls showed voters were on their side. And then just when it seemed like they'd finally turn the tables, they buckled," he said.
Meyers specifically called out Schumer, who had insisted just a week earlier that Democrats were not giving up the "fight."
"But that’s what you’re doing. You’re giving up the fight. You can’t wave a white flag in one hand that says, 'I give up,' while in the other hand waving a smaller white flag that says, 'until next time,'" Meyers said, reacting to Schumer's remarks.
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Meyers touted the protests against the Trump administration, the president's low poll numbers and Democrats' election victories, saying, "So naturally, Senate Democrats looked at all that and said, 'Now is the time to cave.'"
Jimmy Kimmel
Jimmy Kimmel, host of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" during the show on September 23, 2025. (Randy Holmes/Disney via Getty Images)
Echoing Meyers' criticism of Democratic Senate leadership, late-night host Jimmy Kimmel blasted Schumer and the senators who, in his opinion, "caved" to Republicans.
"At his age, it’s incredible that Chuck Schumer is still able to bend over so far. Chuck Schumer is basically every parent who tells their kid, 'That’s it, no more iPad!' And the next thing you know, you got 'roblox' at the dinner table. This was such a big cave, by the Democrats, Bruce Wayne offered to buy it," Kimmel said last week.
Sunny Hostin
Sunny Hostin attends a discussion of the View's "Behind the Table" podcast at 92NY on Oct. 8, 2024, in New York City. (Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)
"The View" co-host Sunny Hostin did not mince words when she went after Schumer the day after the shutdown vote, asserting that his days as Democratic leader are "over."
Hostin told the panel that she wanted an "opposition party" that would take a stand against the Trump administration, arguing that "the Democrats caved" and "let down the American people." She also mentioned that she has "absolutely no faith" that Republicans would come to the negotiating table in good faith.
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"Shame on you the first time. You do it twice, three times, four times, shame on me. Shame on the Democrats for even believing that the Republicans will, you know, even vote on it," Hostin said.
"So the bottom line is, the Democrats went into, after a blue wave, the American people saying, 'We do want [an] opposition.' The working people want the Democratic Party to fight for them. And now, they just caved and surrendered. I think Chuck Schumer — his days are over. And if he cannot keep his caucus together, he needs to go. He needs to be replaced," she added.
Fox News Digital reached out to Schumer's office for comment.
Fox News' Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.
