A ‘guerilla’ group of liberal senators have formed a so-called ‘fight club’ in advance of the crucial midterm elections amid growing frustration with Chuck Schumer.
The rogue liberals are concerned that their party continues to back establishment candidates as the Democratic leader failed to endorse newcomer Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor.
The mutiny comes to light following an Oval Office meeting that insiders called an ingenious plot by President Donald Trump.
Trump’s surprisingly cozy one-on-one with with the Big Apple’s mayor-elect last week was dramatically warmer than many had expected given the months of hostilities.
But a veteran GOP operative who witnessed the spectacle unfold called the meeting was a political grenade lobbed directly into Democratic ranks.
‘To be honest, I think this pours gasoline on the internal war within the Dems,’ the source told The Hill’s Julia Manchester. ‘Further forces Dems to fully embrace Mamdani and his agenda.’
The grenade may have already exploded, as the ‘guerrilla group’ is now planning to challenge Schumer during primaries for the 2026 midterms, particularly in Maine, Michigan and Minnesota.
‘I can think of no historical example that would compare to this level of internal caucus fear and dissension,’ Josh Orton, a Democratic strategist, told The New York Times.
‘To be essentially a guerrilla group of senators who are raising concerns not just about one bill or one decision, but questions of leadership’s entire disposition toward politics and the Trump administration, feels unique.
Chuck Schumer’s post-shutdown nightmare continues as he faces a mutiny from within his own party after he failed to endorse socialist Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayor’s race
Schumer, who lives in Brooklyn, declined to endorse anyone in the race, leading some to suggest that after their surprisingly friendly meeting in the Oval Office, that ‘Donald Trump endorsed Mamdani before Schumer’
The liberal group includes longtime progressive faces Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, as well as Chris Van Hollen, Tina Smith and Chris Murphy, the Times reported.
While many of them lean closer to Sanders’ brand of democratic socialism than the center, reports suggest they want to the party to put up more of a fight against Trump, even referring to their meetings as ‘Fight Club’ in a reference to the 1999 film.
A spokesperson for Schumer denied any favoritism or complacency with candidates, and claimed they only have one goal.
‘Our North Star is winning the Senate majority in 2026 and any decision is made to achieve that goal,’ the rep said.
The senators aren’t alone in their frustration with Schumer, as progressive members of the House have also been critical in the wake of the shutdown failure.
Ro Khanna, a California progressive, told Politico: ‘The question is what is the future of Democratic leadership. Who is going to be effective? And most Democrats around the country just don’t think that person is Chuck Schumer.’
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most famous members of Congress and someone who many think could challenge Schumer for his Senate seat in 2028, was similarly critical.
‘The Democratic Party cannot last much longer by denying the future, by trying to undercut our young, by trying to undercut a next generation of diverse and upcoming Democrats that the actual electorate and voters support,’ she said.
The rebel Democrats aren’t the only ones who see Schumer, who has led the party in the Senate since 2017, as weakened following the shutdown.
Bernie Sanders (pictured left) and Elizabeth Warren are two of the members of the rebel Senate group, which some have called a ‘Fight Club’
In the House, both Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (pictured left) and Ro Khanna (pictured right) have heavily criticized the party’s behavior in the mayoral race and on the shutdown
Trump openly bragged that Republicans ‘broke’ Schumer during brutal negotiations to end the longest government in US history.
‘I think he made a mistake in going too far,’ Trump told Fox News about the standoff in negotiations. ‘He thought he could break the Republicans and the Republicans broke him.’
The US Senate voted to end the record-setting government shutdown by a 60-40 tally after a number of Democrats defected.
The seven Democrats and one Independent who caucused with the GOP were: Dick Durbin of Illinois, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Tim Kaine of Virginia, Jacky Rosen of Nevada and Angus King (I) of Maine.
None of the members have been a part of any of these ‘Fight Club’ meetings with their fellow senators.
After weeks of negotiations, the moderate Senate Democrats agreed to reopen the government without a guaranteed extension of health care subsidies, angering many in their caucus who have demanded that Republicans negotiate with them on the Affordable Care Act tax credits that expire January 1.
Thune promised a mid-December vote on the subsidies, but there was no guarantee of success.
In a possible preview, the Senate voted 47-53 along party lines Monday not to extend the subsidies for a year. Majority Republicans allowed the vote as part of a separate deal with Democrats to speed up votes and send the legislation to the House.
The president said Schumer’s status as a major party broker had withered as the lengthy shutdown dragged his beleaguered party into the abyss.
‘I’ve never seen a politician change so much,’ Trump admitted. ‘He was a pretty talented guy. He’s lost his talent.’
Donald Trump bragged that his Republican Party ‘broke’ Democrat leader Chuck Schumer in shutdown negotiations, as the New York Senator faces calls from his own party to quit
MSNBC commentator Rachel Maddow also defended Schumer but with faint praise, suggesting that there were no Democrats who could do any better
He accused Schumer of having ‘Trump derangement syndrome’ and said the Democrat Party had been taken over by ‘crazed lunatics.’
Progressive groups MoveOn and Our Revolution have also demanded that Schumer be removed as leader, citing liberal victories in off-year elections in early November showing a willingness for the public to wait out the shutdown.
‘Americans showed a growing surge of support for Democrats who fought back – both at the ballot box last week and peacefully in the streets last month. Inexplicably, some Senate Democrats, under Leader Schumer’s watch, decided to surrender,’ said Katie Bethell, MoveOn’s political action executive director
‘It is time for Senator Schumer to step aside.’
While most Democrats have trashed the deal, some liberals have stepped up to back Schumer to continue.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries claimed that ‘the overwhelming majority of Senate Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, have waged a valiant fight over the last seven weeks, defeating the partisan Republican spending bill 14 or 15 different times, week after week after week.’
When asked if Schumer was effective as leader and should keep his job, Jeffries answered: ‘Yes and yes.’
MSNBC commentator Rachel Maddow also defended Schumer but with faint praise, suggesting that there were no Democrats who could do any better.
‘There’s nobody who is stepping up to take that job right now,’ Maddow admitted.
‘There is no more wasted breath at this particular moment in our governing than the question of Chuck Schumer’s future. He has the vote of every Democratic member of the Senate. He will continue to have that,’ added fellow MSNBC anchor Lawrence O’Donnell.
Schumer, in a speech to the Senate on Monday, said that Democrats succeeded in putting healthcare ‘at the forefront of people’s minds.’
‘The American people will not forget Donald Trump’s cruelty and heartlessness over the past six weeks,’ he added.
Jon Cowan, president of the centrist think tank Third Way, said in an interview that the attacks on Schumer coming from the left will likely subside.
‘Every Democrat and allied interest group is going to end their circular firing squad and aim all of their ammunition at Trump’ and at congressional Republicans who are vulnerable to losing their seats in next year’s elections, he said.
Schumer, who has held his seat since 1999, is up for re-election again in 2028.
