Senator Kennedy Eviscerates Schumer Over Partisan Shutdown

Sen. John Kennedy tore into Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and fellow Democrats over the government shutdown and what he framed as their ongoing Trump Derangement Syndrome, calling out media figures and Democratic strategy while arguing the political fallout is landing on the left.

Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) spoke bluntly on the Senate floor and in media appearances, taking aim at Democrats and parts of the liberal press for what he said is a steady pattern of over-the-top attacks and misplaced priorities. He singled out MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace for denying that Democrats compare President Trump to extreme historical villains, and he dismissed that claim with sharp sarcasm. Kennedy’s tone was both mocking and pointed, aiming to frame the shutdown as a political stunt that has real consequences.

Kennedy did not hold back his one-liners, saying, “Even duct tape can’t fix stupid,” as part of his broader critique of liberal commentators who downplay the intensity of anti-Trump rhetoric. He suggested the media frequently traffics in hyperbole and that some hosts are only marginally less absurd than daytime panel shows. That kind of ridicule was central to his strategy: to portray the opposition as out of touch, angry, and politically motivated rather than focused on governing.

He then shifted to the heart of the shutdown debate, accusing Democrats of using federal programs as bargaining chips and of refusing to reopen the government despite repetitive votes. Kennedy highlighted the repeated votes and the arithmetic problem on the floor, noting that Republicans cannot reach 60 votes to break a filibuster without some Democratic support. His message was simple: the shutdown is a choice made by Democratic leaders, and the public can see it for what it is.

Kennedy’s most extended remarks were delivered in a quoted passage that has been widely circulated. He said, “The Democrats have accused President Trump of everything except abandoning his children to wolves. They repeatedly, they daily call him a racist and a Nazi. The Democrats are angry. They’re angry for two reasons. They’re angry because President Trump won the election. The American people spoke. My Democratic colleagues need to just drink a big old glass of ‘get over it,’ and let’s move on. Number two. They’re mad that the American people are mad about the shutdown. It was so needless. I voted 13 times to open government back up. Democrats have voted 13 times to keep it shut down. They don’t wanna pay food stamps, they don’t want to pay the military. They want to use this as leverage to gain more money to spend!”

Those lines were aimed at both Schumer personally and the broader Democratic strategy, which Kennedy said is transparently about leverage. He argued Democrats openly admit they want to extract concessions, and he made the case that voters can see that tactic and resent it. The senator used blunt, populist language to connect with voters frustrated by closed services and unpaid bills.

Kennedy also went after Chuck Schumer’s political standing, painting him as a weak public face for the shutdown. He described Schumer as a politician with poor approval ratings and mocked the idea that Schumer could successfully pin blame on Republicans. Kennedy’s point was tactical: the political math simply does not allow Republicans to unilaterally reopen government without some Democratic defections.

That arithmetic is central to the debate. Kennedy stressed that Republicans have repeatedly tried to vote to restore funding and reopen agencies, yet Democrats have blocked those measures for leverage. He framed the dispute as one where Democratic leaders chose political theater over responsibility, leaving rank-and-file Americans and service members in limbo. Kennedy suggested that as a result, public opinion is turning against Democrats on this issue.

The senator also criticized media narratives that attempt to shift blame, arguing reporters and pundits too often give Democrats a pass. In his telling, the press amplifies partisan talking points instead of holding leaders accountable for the tangible effects of their decisions. Kennedy’s comments were designed to push back against that coverage and to insist on a simpler reading: the shutdown is the consequence of Democratic choices.

Throughout, Kennedy combined humor, insult, and policy critique, aiming to undercut the credibility of Democratic leadership while portraying Republicans as the party trying to get the government running. He repeatedly underscored the human costs of a shutdown—service interruptions, unpaid workers, and uncertainty—tying those outcomes to the political strategy he condemned. The underlying message he offered voters was that the choice to keep the government closed is a calculated gamble by Democratic leaders that is failing politically.

Whether or not the senator’s tone persuades undecided observers, his remarks have already energized conservative audiences and provided a clear Republican narrative to counter Democratic talking points. By blending barbs with numbers and repeated vote counts, Kennedy aimed to make the argument both entertaining and difficult to shrug off for listeners who care about outcomes as much as rhetoric.