Negotiations between the White House and Senate leaders over President Donald Trump’s long-stalled nominees collapsed in dramatic fashion Saturday night — capped off by Trump storming out of the talks and hurling a blunt message at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer: “Go to hell.”
The high-stakes breakdown followed hours of wrangling aimed at clearing dozens of Trump’s nominees before lawmakers left Washington for recess. Early optimism quickly soured after Trump accused Schumer of trying to hold the process “hostage.”
Trump Accuses Schumer of ‘Political Extortion’
In a fiery Truth Social post, Trump claimed Schumer, D-N.Y., had demanded “over one billion dollars” in exchange for moving forward on only a handful of nominees.
“This demand is egregious and unprecedented… It is political extortion, by any other name. Tell Schumer, who is under tremendous political pressure from the Radical Left Lunatics, to GO TO HELL!” Trump wrote.
He urged Republicans to reject any compromise and instead return home to “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”
Senate Confirms Just Seven Nominees
What could have been a breakthrough deal to advance as many as 60 nominees ended with the Senate confirming only seven before adjourning. The rest will now remain in limbo until at least September.
Schumer Declares Victory
Schumer seized on Trump’s abrupt withdrawal, calling it a self-inflicted failure. Standing beside a blown-up poster of Trump’s all-caps rant, the Democratic leader quipped:
“He took his ball, he went home, leaving Democrats and Republicans alike wondering what the hell happened. In a fit of rage, Trump threw in the towel and was unable to do the basic work of negotiating.”
A Deal That Almost Happened
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) acknowledged that the two sides had come close several times, exchanging “lots of offers” before talks finally fell apart.
Democrats’ reported demands included unlocking frozen funds for the National Institutes of Health, restoring foreign aid, and securing White House cooperation on future budget matters — conditions Republicans blasted as excessive and unrelated.
With Congress now on recess, the fate of Trump’s nominees remains uncertain — and Washington’s political temperature higher than ever.