new video loaded: Where Things Stand With SNAP Benefits
Millions of low-income Americans will see staggering cuts and delays to their food stamps this month due to the government shutdown. Tony Romm, an economic policy reporter at The New York Times, walks us through the last several weeks of chaos around SNAP benefits.
By Tony Romm, Christina Shaman, Christina Thornell, June Kim and Zach Wood
November 5, 2025
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Tony Romm, Christina Shaman, Christina Thornell, June Kim and Zach Wood
new video loaded: Fed Cuts Interest Rates for Second Time This Year
transcript
transcript
Fed Cuts Interest Rates for Second Time This Year
Fed Chair Jerome Powell announced that the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates by another quarter point on Wednesday, the second cut this year. Interest rates set by the Fed are now below 4 percent for the first time since late 2022. Mr. Powell noted that officials were divided on the cut, and said that another cut at the December meeting was not a “foregone conclusion.”
My colleagues and I remain squarely focused on achieving our dual mandate goals of maximum employment and stable prices for the benefit of the American people. Although some important federal government data have been delayed due to the shutdown, the public and private sector data that have remained available suggests that the outlook for employment and inflation has not changed much since our meeting in September. You can argue these positions since it can’t be directly observed. Division, then, you’re talking about going forward. In the near term, risks to inflation are tilted to the upside and risks to employment to the downside. A challenging situation. There is no risk-free path for policy as we navigate this tension between our employment and inflation goals. Our framework calls for us to take a balanced approach in promoting both sides of our dual mandate.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell announced that the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates by another quarter point on Wednesday, the second cut this year. Interest rates set by the Fed are now below 4 percent for the first time since late 2022. Mr. Powell noted that officials were divided on the cut, and said that another cut at the December meeting was not a “foregone conclusion.”
The Trump administration’s implementation of Project 2025 has stalled, according to an online tracker.
A website created by two Reddit users says the number of policies outlined in the conservative document that the White House has implemented has decreased in the last few months. The website does not provide the methodology it uses to track Project 2025.
Newsweek reached out to the White House and the Heritage Foundation by email to comment on this story outside of normal business hours.
Why It Matters
Project 2025 is a 900-page document of policy proposals spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation think tank. It advocates limited government, border security and tough immigration laws, among other conservative measures.
It was a source of debate before the election, with Democrats accusing Trump of planning to implement it if he won. Before the election Trump called parts of it “ridiculous and abysmal.” But after he won, he told Time in an interview that he disagreed with parts of it, but not all of it.
What To Know
According to the tracker, the rate at which the objectives outlined in the document have been implemented is now in decline. As per information provided by the tracker, between January and July, 13 objectives were completed on average per month. But since August, an average of one policy objective per month has been implemented.
Overall, Trump has enacted almost half of Project 2025 (48 percent) including budget cuts at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
The tracker said that the document has a total of 318 objectives and that 119 have been completed while 66 are in progress.
Fifty of these objectives were completed in January in the earliest days of Trump’s new administration and the most recently approved plan, on October 5, was approving the Amble Road Project, a proposal for a 211-mile industrial access road to facilitate the development of four mines.
Faith Williams, the director of the effective and accountable government program at nonpartisan independent watchdog the Project On Government Oversight, told Newsweek: “The President has come a long way from saying he has ‘nothing to do with Project 2025’ last year, to referring today to his budget chief, Russ Vought, as ‘”‘of PROJECT 2025 FAME.’ Regardless of how closely past, current, and future policies hew to Project 2025, it’s clear that this administration shows no signs of slowing down in its efforts to shift how the federal government serves the public, including weaponizing the Department of Justice, deploying troops in our cities, and denigrating whistleblowers.”
What People Are Saying
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office wrote on X: “Trump tried to distance himself from Project 2025. But 9 months in, he has already put 48 percent into action. And now, with his shutdown, he’s all in—embracing the plan’s disastrous cuts and divisive policies.”
Adrienne Cobb, one of the tracker’s creators, told The Cut: “I don’t think the absence of progress on these goals can be interpreted as an unwillingness to complete them.”
Trump, on Truth Social this month: “I have a meeting today with Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame, to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent. I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity. They are not stupid people, so maybe this is their way of wanting to, quietly and quickly, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DJT”
What Happens Next
On Thursday, Trump met with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought, one of the document’s authors, to decide where to make government cuts.
Regardless of its pace, Project 2025’s influence on federal workforce structure, agency priorities, and the role of presidential power is expected to remain a point of debate in the lead-up to the 2026 midterms and beyond.
The odds of a prolonged federal government shutdown stretching into mid-November have jumped as negotiations to pass a funding bill continue stalling in the Senate, according to Polymarket betting odds.
Newsweek reached out to spokespersons for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, for comment via email.
Why It Matters
The government shutdown began October 1 after legislators failed to reach consensus on a bill that would allocate funding to the federal government, and the stoppage could last several more weeks, as Democrats and Republicans continue to remain at odds over key issues to broker a deal.
There are many impacts of government shutdowns—hundreds of thousands of federal workers may be unpaid or furloughed, and there can be disruptions to passport processing applications, national parks and government benefits.
Republicans control both the House of Representatives and the Senate, but the Senate filibuster requires 60 votes to advance bills, so the continuing resolution has to gain more bipartisan support to pass. Democrats have pushed for concessions on health care funding, but Republicans have sought to pass a bill that already advanced through the House.
What To Know
The likelihood of the shutdown lasting another month has increased over the past few days, according to Polymarket, which showed a 38 percent chance of the shutdown lasting until November 16, as of 4:30 p.m. ET Friday.
That’s up from only about 10 percent a week ago.
Polymarket on Friday gave the shutdown a 17 percent chance of ending from October 31 to November 3, and a 15 percent chance from November 4 to November 7.
There is a 9 percent chance it ends from November 12 to November 15, according to Polymarket.
Polymarket traders have bet nearly $500,000 on the date that the federal government will reopen.
Kalshi showed similar results. It gave a 70 percent chance that the shutdown would last 35 days and become the longest in U.S. history, a 51 percent chance that it would last more than 40 days and a 39 percent chance it would stretch over 45 days.
The Senate again voted Thursday on the bill to end the shutdown, but there has been no movement in the more than two weeks since it began. Only two Democratic senators—Catherine Cortez-Masto of Nevada and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania—voted in favor of the bill.
Thune sent the Senate home after the vote, meaning the shutdown will last until at least Monday. The House of Representatives has not been in session since September 19.
The Republican leader told MSNBC on Thursday that he has told Democratic leaders he is willing to make a deal to hold a vote on Affordable Care Act subsidies that are poised to end if Congress does not act. This has been a sticking point for Democrats, but it has yet to be seen whether his offer is enough to convince others to change their vote.
What People Are Saying
Schumer, on X Wednesday: “If Republicans continue to ignore the healthcare crisis they’ve manufactured: People will go bankrupt People will get sick People will lose insurance People will fail to get the care they need and more people will needlessly die.”
Thune, on MSNBC Thursday: “There is a bill sitting at the desk right now that opens up the government, and you all know that. The president would sign it today. It’s simply a function of five Democrats joining the three Democrats who are already voting to open up the government. And I think that’s the quickest way to end this.”
Cortez-Masto, in a statement September 30: ““President Trump and Congressional Republicans are already hurting Nevadans who are dealing with high costs, an economic slowdown, and a looming health care crisis. This administration doesn’t care about Nevadans, but I do. That’s why I cannot support a costly shutdown that would hurt Nevada families and hand even more power to this reckless administration.”
What Happens Next
The Senate is set to reconvene Monday, and a deal to bring the shutdown to an end will be a top priority. The House has canceled votes and is unlikely to return until the shutdown is over.
A South African music executive whose visa was revoked over his post about late conservative activist Charlie Kirk told Newsweek he believes the revocation was a “gross violation” of freedom of speech.
Why It Matters
The U.S. State Department announced on Tuesday that the visas of several individuals accused of celebrating Kirk’s assassination were revoked. The announcement intensified debate about the limits of free speech, as well as whether the government can limit immigration based on speech and expression.
Kirk, the co-founder of the conservative student organization Turning Point USA, was fatally shot during his American Comeback Tour event at Utah Valley University on September 10. Police later arrested suspect Tyler Robinson. The 22-year-old has been charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering, and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.
What To Know
Nota Baloyi, a South African music executive, was among those who lost their visas for their Kirk-related posts. He said he believes the decision to revoke his visa violated his free speech rights.
“It was a gross violation of the virtues that America espouses to the world as defenders of the free world and the paragons of virtue when it comes to free speech,” Baloyi told Newsweek on Wednesday.
The State Department announced this visa would be revoked in a post on X, in which the department said the United States “has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans.”
The thread included a screenshot of a post made by Baloyi, though it removed identifying information.
The post read: “Neanderthals can’t have their cake & eat it… This weekend they went openly anti-black racist & now they’re hurt that the racist rally ended in attempted martyrdom? Charlie Kirk won’t be remembered as a hero. He was used to astroturf a movement of white nationalist trailer trash!”
Baloyi told Newsweek he initially found out about the revocation on October 9 and was at first concerned, as the email notifying him didn’t mention the post.
“I was concerned that it might have something that maybe I had done wrong during my trip in the U.S. that led to its termination,” he said. The State Department’s announcement that the revocation was because of his Kirk post was something of a “relief,” because it was a “rather innocuous reason.”
Baloyi said his last trip to the U.S. was due to a threat on his life.
He said he travels to the U.S. on a B1/B2 visa for work purposes but was not in the country when he learned of the revocation. He plans to reapply for the visa and wants to persuade the State Department to change its mind.
In a post on X, Baloyi apologized “to all those that felt my post was insensitive & ill-timed in any context.” He deleted the original post and said he condemns political violence.
“I’m an advocate for free speech much like Charlie Kirk was famous for & as a Christian with conservative leanings, I am a supporter of President Trump,” he wrote, adding that he does “not always agree with either Charlie Kirk nor Donald Trump,” which is why he disagrees with this decision.
What People Are Saying
Representative Ben Cline, a Virginia Republican, on X: “Being in the United States on a visa is a privilege, not a right. The cancellation of a visa or green card falls within the executive discretion of @SecRubio. Those who celebrate or incite violence have NO place in our country.”
Conservative attorney Mike Davis, on X: “Foreigners who celebrate the assassination of an American have no business being in America. They can go to hell. In the meantime, they can go home.”
Journalist Billy Binion, on X: “Asking without snark: Does anyone think the federal government would be deporting people for making gross comments about a leftist? The answer isn’t hard to figure out, which tells you what you need to know.”
Gregg Nunziata, a conservative lawyer and former Department of Justice official, on X: “Making visas conditional on speech is a bad look for our country and ultimately harmful to the national interest.”
What Happens Next
The decision to revoke these visas reflects the ongoing efforts to scrutinize immigrants and visa holders based on factors such as their speech.
Ethan Agarwal, a CaliforniaDemocrat gubernatorial candidate challenging former Representative Katie Porter for the state’s top job, told Newsweek on Thursday that Porter’s recent viral moments reveal “anger control issues.”
In contrast, the gubernatorial hopeful applauded GovernorGavin Newsom’s social media tactics, calling him “probably the best and most effective counterbalance to [President Donald] Trump.”
Newsweek has reached out to Porter’s and Newsom’s press team for comment via email on Friday evening.
Why It Matters
Porter, a three-term Democrat who left office in January and is considered a front-runner in California’s governor’s race, has been in the political spotlight this week after two videos circulated online, one showing her berating a staffer for being in her video frame and another capturing her cutting short a tense interview with CBS News California Investigates correspondent Julie Watts.
California is America’s most populous state and, by itself, the world’s fourth-largest economy, making the governorship a high-profile job. Newsom, now term-limited, has climbed into the national spotlight with public clashes with the Trump administration, prompting frequent speculation about his presidential ambitions.
What To Know
Agarwal, 40, who described himself as a “pro-capitalism” Democrat at a Thursday night event in Manhattan, sat down with Newsweek to discuss the state’s leadership and what’s going on in the Democratic race.
Outlining his platform’s top three policies as housing, making “crime illegal again,” and bolstering California’s energy sector, Agarwal then turned to one of the top Democratic contenders, Porter, who he called a “smart lady,” but has been in the news over her interactions with staff and media.
In response to the viral clips of Porter, Agarwal said, “[Californians] are feeling betrayed a little bit, I think they’re feeling frustrated,” by her temperament displayed inthe videos. “I think people are allowed to have a bad day, everyone has a bad day. It’s hard to be on camera all the time,” he noted. “But that’s not what that was, that was clear evidence of someone that has anger control issues.”
He added that her actions in the videos relay to him that “she is not able to deal with someone challenging her. If you can’t deal with someone challenging you, how are you going to run the fourth largest economy in the world?”
“I think it’s a temperament issue, I like fiery people, I like passionate people…but you still treat people as human beings,” Agarwal said, adding that “if you can’t control these little, tiny microcosm situations, how are you going to deal with running the state of California?”
Porter said in a statement about the video of her berating a staffer, “It’s no secret I hold myself and my staff to a high standard, and that was especially true as a member of Congress. I have sought to be more intentional in showing gratitude to my staff for their important work.”
The fallout of the situation extends beyond public perception of Porter, Agarwal said, noting that she’s going “to lose the best people,” because the “best staffers, advisers, pollsters, campaign strategists are not going to work for Katie Porter anymore, and that’s where she’s going to lose.”
An Emerson College poll of 1,000 Californian voters conducted between August 4 and 5 found Porter leading with 18 percent, followed by Republican political commentator Steve Hilton at 12 percent, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco at 7 percent, and former Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at 5 percent. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Agarwal had not yet announced his run when the poll was conducted.
Turning to the current governor, Agarwal said the state’s top Democrat is “probably the best and most effective counterbalance to Trump, and I got to give him credit for that” highlighting Newsom’s “all caps tweets,” which are a riff off the president’s. Over the summer, the governor’s social media team changed the style and tone of their posts to mimic Trump’s including a stream of all-caps threats and pop culture parodies, aimed at mocking Trump in a snarky tone while countering Republican initiatives in substance.
“I don’t see any other Democrats stepping up and fighting Trump as aggressively as Newsom is,” he told Newsweek. “With that said, I don’t think the Democratic Party’s platform should be let’s just fight Trump, which is all it is these days—it’s like how can we be against Trump as opposed to being for something? So, I would like us to be for things as opposed to just being anti-Trump.”
What People Are Saying
Political strategist Mike Madrid, co-founder of The Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump political action committee, told Newsweek for another story about Porter on Friday: “You can get away with that in a big media market like Orange County, but once you’re running for governor, that video plays very differently…[however] The field is still very wide open. It’s a long time until June, and a lot of people are going to have second thoughts.”
Porter’s campaign spokesperson Peter Opitz said in a statement, as reported by Politico: “Californians are hungry for a governor who they trust can fight for them against Trump. They know from her work taking on powerful interests in Washington that Katie is never going to be shy about calling out bullshit, and that is why every poll shows Katie firmly in the lead.”
Governor Newsom’s press office wrote in an October 10 X post: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME, GAVIN C. NEWSOM, MANY SAY AMERICA’S MOST LOVED, MOST HANDSOME, AND POSSIBLY MOST IMPORTANT GOVERNOR!! MY BIRTHDAY WISH LIST (THE BEST LIST): NO TROOPS IN OUR BEAUTIFUL CITIES! NO TRUMP ELECTION RIGGING — NONE! BEAUTIFUL, PERFECT, FAIR MAPS FOR EVERYONE! RESPECT FOR OUR SACRED CONSTITUTION! AND MOST IMPORTANT AND A VERY HUMBLE ASK, A NOBEL PEACE PRIZE (PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD ARE BEGGING ME TO ACCEPT IT!) THANK YOU TO THE AMAZING, TALENTED, HIGHLY ATTRACTIVE PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA. I LOVE YOU!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER! — GCN”
Former California State Controller Betty Yee, who is running for governor, said in an October 8 X post: “Katie Porter is a weak, self-destructive candidate unfit to lead California. The stakes are simply too high for her to stay in this race. It’s time for her to drop out of this race.”
Political analyst Nate Silver said in an X post about Porter’s interview: “TV is a really unnatural medium especially in a studio setting like this. Of course you’re supposed to stay more on script if you’re running for office but it’s a very human reaction.”
Political commentator Megyn Kelly said in an October 7 X post: “Are there other terrible interviews with Katie Porter? This is the most entertaining, unifying thing since tiger king!”
What Happens Next?
The gubernatorial race is still far away. The primaries are scheduled for June 2026, while the gubernatorial election is scheduled to take place on November 3, 2026.
Zohran Mamdani, Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, shared what New York Attorney General Letitia James told him after she was indicted on Thursday.
Why It Matters
The federal indictment of James has thrust the topic of prosecutorial independence into the national spotlight and reignited debate over concerns of possible politicization of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). James, who earned national attention for her successful civil fraud case against President Donald Trump in 2023, now finds herself facing allegations of bank fraud and making false statements, brought by a newly appointed Trump prosecutor.
Lawmakers and legal experts say the case highlights growing concerns about the use of federal power for perceived political retribution amid a broader erosion of longstanding judicial norms. Some Republicans, meanwhile, argue the case brings long overdue accountability to a high-ranking official. The high-profile indictment comes as both major parties accuse each other of weaponizing the justice system, compounding doubts surrounding its integrity among Americans.
What To Know
While speaking with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Friday, Mamdani was asked about his conversation with the state’s attorney general. Mamdani said, “She told me, ‘Don’t worry about me.’ And I think that’s just indicative of what she means to so many New Yorkers.”
“She is somebody who has put the city, the state, the people of it first, and frankly that’s why Donald Trump is persecuting her. It’s because of the fact that she looks at everyone in the state, everyone in this country as being held to the same standards of the law. And she held Donald Trump to that same law,” Mamdani continued.
“And he couldn’t take the audacity, that he would have that applied to him,” Mamdani added. “And so, what we’re seeing is the weaponization of justice and it’s one that’s looking to make an example of the attorney general, but it’s one where we will have her back through every step of the way.”
On Thursday, Lindsey Halligan, recently appointed by Trump as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, secured a federal grand jury indictment against James. The indictment alleges that James misrepresented the use of a Virginia property on a 2020 mortgage application, claiming it was a secondary residence to obtain more favorable terms, when it was allegedly used as a rental.
Newsweek reached out to the press office for the Eastern District of Virginia via email Friday night for comment.
What People Are Saying
Mamdani, on X Thursday: “New Yorkers know Attorney General James for who she is: a champion for justice who fights relentlessly for the people. Donald Trump knows her only as an obstacle to his corruption. No one should be surprised that Donald Trump is employing fascist tactics—prosecuting his opponents, weaponizing the federal government, and attacking the very fabric of our democracy. And Trump should not be surprised when millions of Americans stand up to his authoritarianism and his greed. If Trump wants to leverage baseless charges to visit political retribution on New York’s Attorney General, he’ll have to go through New Yorkers first. Tish James has had our back, time and again. We have hers.”
Abbe Lowell, attorney for James,in a statement Thursday:“We are deeply concerned that this case is driven by President Trump’s desire for revenge,” adding, “When a President can publicly direct charges to be filed against someone—when it was reported that career attorneys concluded none were warranted—it marks a serious attack on the rule of law. We will fight these charges in every process allowed in the law.”
Scott Jennings, former adviser to President George W. Bush, on X Thursday: “Allow me to quote Letitia James directly: ‘When powerful people cheat to get better loans, it comes at the expense of hard-working people.’ There was no outrage from Dems about Tish’s political prosecution of Trump — but now that the shoe is on the other foot, it’s a crisis.”
What Happens Next
James is set to appear for arraignment in Virginia on October 24.
If convicted of bank fraud or making false statements, the penalties could include up to 30 years in prison and $1 million in fines for each count, the DOJ says.
Maine Governor Janet Mills, a Democrat, is preparing to launch a challenge to longtime GOP Senator Susan Collins in what is likely to become one of the most closely watched races of the midterms, the Associated Press reported on Friday, citing two people familiar with her plans.
“Primaries are an important part of the democratic process because they give voters a real choice for our future. Since launching the campaign, we’ve organized more than 30 events across the state and voters consistently tell me they want an open and vibrant primary process. With so much at stake, Mainers want to decide which candidate can defeat Susan Collins, defend our democracy from Donald Trump, and deliver for working families,” he said.
Newsweek reached out to spokespersons for Collins, Mills and other Senate candidates for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Maine generally leans Democratic, having backed former Vice President Kamala Harris by about seven points last November, but Collins has handily won reelection in the past due to her more moderate policy positions and close ties to the state. Democrats, however, believe 2026 has the potential to be her closest race yet as President Donald Trump’s approval slips nationwide, and as he remains unpopular in the Pine Tree State.
National Democrats view Mills, who has also won by wide margins in her two gubernatorial races, as a top recruit for the race. But others are less sold on the idea of her candidacy, believing that other Democrats already in the race such as Graham Platner, whose campaign has garnered nationwide attention, could make for a stronger candidate.
What To Know
Maine is likely a must-win for Democrats hoping to reclaim control of the Senate, where Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority. Collins is the only Republican in a Harris-won state up for reelection. Democrats also view an open race in battleground North Carolina as a prime pickup opportunity, but other potential flips would require them to win more conservative territory.
Mills will bring high name recognition into the race, as voters are already familiar with her from her stint as attorney general and governor. She flipped the governor’s office in 2020, winning by about seven points, and won reelection in 2022 by nearly 13 points against former Governor Paul LePage. She is unable to run for reelection due to term limits.
But she may face a competitive primary against Platner, Maine Beer Company co-founder Dan Kleban and Wood, the former President of End Citizens United, all of whom have already announced their campaigns.
Polling on the Senate race remains limited despite its importance for the midterms.
Polls have generally found that Mills enjoys stronger approval than Collins.
A University of New Hampshire poll from over the summer found that 14 percent of Mainers view Collins favorably, while 57 percent view her unfavorably. An additional 26 percent were neutral. Meanwhile, 51 percent of Mainers view Mills favorably and 41 percent unfavorably. Only 7 percent were neutral on Mills, according to the survey, which surveyed 846 Mainers between June 19 and June 23. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.
A Pan Atlantic Research poll yielded better results for Collins, finding that 49 percent of Mainers view her favorably and 45 percent view her unfavorable. It found that 52 percent of respondents viewed Mills favorably, while 44 percent viewed her unfavorably. It surveyed 840 likely voters from May 12 to May 26, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Morning Consult found earlier this year that Mills had a net approval rating of +2—making her the least popular Democratic governor in the country—though Collins’ approval was -16. That poll took place from April to June of this year, and the sample sizes varied by state.
Polls in 2020 were notably off in Maine. Although surveys showed former Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon with a lead, Collins ended up prevailing with just over 50 percent of the vote.
Mills, viewed as a more centrist Democrat, engaged in a high-profile debate with the White House over Trump’s efforts to deny states funding over transgender athletes, telling him “We’ll see you in court.”
What People Are Saying
Senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, wrote on X Thursday: “Graham Platner is a great working class candidate for Senate in Maine who will defeat Susan Collins. It’s disappointing that some Democratic leaders are urging Governor Mills to run. We need to focus on winning that seat & not waste millions on an unnecessary & divisive primary.”
Pollster Adam Carlson wrote on X in August: “Sometimes to take out a modern political anomaly like Susan Collins, you need to try something different Janet Mills has been a good governor, but she’s 77, not especially popular, and has been in politics since 1980 Graham’s background might be unusual, but he’s got the juice.”
Commentator Russel Drew wrote on X on Friday: “We need to see some new, legit polling about #MESEN. The oyster farmer is absolutely an interesting candidate, but Gov. Mills has already won statewide twice. F*** our feelings. Let’s see the data.”
Anna Palmer, CEO of Punchbowl News, said during The Daily Punch podcast: “This is a huge get for Senat Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is on a recruiting tear. But Mills will have to contend with a crowded field of Democratic challengers who didn’t wait to jump in while she made up her mind. This is something that Democrats have been waiting for, and it seemed like she was taking her sweet time to get into the race, and now it is finally here. This could potentially be a problem for Susan Collins.”
What Happens Next?
Mills and other candidates will spend the coming months making their cases to voters about why they are the best candidate to challenge Collins in the Senate race. Forecasters give Collins an edge—both the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball classify the race as leaning Republican.
new video loaded: How Trump’s National Guard Deployments Break With Military Tradition
By sending troops to U.S. cities that are not in active crisis, President Trump is breaking with military tradition. Helene Cooper, who covers national security issues for The New York Times, compares his recent actions with earlier domestic military deployments.
Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune said that if a “critical mass” of Democrats support the House-passed continuing resolution bill to fund the government, he would be willing to negotiate health care reform, specifically the Affordable Care Act (ACA), in an exclusive interview withPolitico.
Newsweek reached out to Thune’s office for comment Wednesday night.
Why It Matters
The U.S. federal government entered its first shutdown in six years after lawmakers failed to pass a new funding bill, disrupting services for millions and compounding existing strains on a workforce diminished by record departures this year.
The standoff exposes deep partisan divides over health care funding and future fiscal priorities, with potential repercussions for federal workers, ongoing public services and the economy at large. The competing strategies of Republicans and Democrats—centered on whether to link funding to health care subsidies—could set the tone for legislative cooperation or gridlock heading into future elections and key budget deadlines.
What To Know
In his interview with Politico, Thune, of South Dakota, signaled willingness to discuss future negotiations on expiring Obamacare insurance subsidies if a sufficient number of Democrats agree to pass the House-passed continuing resolution, which would extend funding through November 21. Thune said he would not negotiate on the substantive extension of subsidies or broader health care reforms until the government is no longer shut down.
“I keep telling them: When they have eight or 10—preferably 10, or more—when they have a critical mass, let me know if there’s a conversation they want to have,” Thune said toPolitico. The comments are in line with previous remarks the lawmaker has made about his openness for discussion.
Democrats demand immediate extension of enhanced ACA subsidies and the reversal of Medicaid cuts, as Republican leaders, including Thune, emphasize that passing the current GOP-backed House bill is the only viable path to reopening the government.
“Some of those conversations are happening,” Thune said to Politico. “With our members and their members, there’s a lot of back-and-forth going on right now about some of the things they would like to see happen.”
“What I can’t guarantee, of course, is an outcome and, in particular, one that would clear in the House too,” Thune said later in the interview. “The White House is another factor here. But I think everybody realizes we want solutions.”
What People Are Saying
Thune, on X Wednesday: “Democrats passed CRs 13 different times when they had the majority and Biden was president. They have lost all rationale when it comes to their hatred for President Trump. I hope Democrats will come to their senses and reopen the government.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, also on X Wednesday: “Republicans shut down the government because they can’t be bothered to protect health care for Americans across this country. Premiums are set to more than double! Americans cannot afford this.”
This is a developing story that will be updated with additional information.
new video loaded: The Man Expanding Trump’s Presidential Powers
Coral Davenport, a New York Times reporter, explains how Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, plans to circumvent Congress’s budgetary powers to advance the Trump administration’s agenda.
By Coral Davenport, Melanie Bencosme, Stephanie Swart, Laura Bult, June Kim and Ray Whitehouse
September 29, 2025
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Coral Davenport, Melanie Bencosme, Stephanie Swart, Laura Bult, June Kim and Ray Whitehouse
new video loaded: How Trump Twists Data to His Benefit
To President Trump, the veracity of statistics and scorekeepers turns on a dime. Linda Qiu, a New York Times reporter, explains Trump’s approach to government data.
new video loaded: Trump Escalates Attack on Free Speech
By Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Christina Thornell and David Seekamp•
Zolan Kanno-Youngs, a White House correspondent for The New York Times, describes how the Trump administration’s pressuring of ABC to take action against Jimmy Kimmel is part of a broader crackdown by the administration since the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
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Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Christina Thornell and David Seekamp
Democratic U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota was confronted on Friday about whether she regrets the timing of her comments immediately following the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Omar said in an interview on CNN, “It’s one thing to care about his life because obviously so many people loved him, including his children and wife. But I am not going to sit here and be judged for not wanting to honor any legacy this man has left behind. That should be in the dustbin of history, and we should hopefully move on and forget the hate that he spewed every single day.”
Newsweek reached out to Turning Point USA via online form for comment.
Why It Matters
The Democratic congresswoman said that she does not align with Kirk’s legacy, saying it was filled with “hate” and “rage baiting.”
Kirk, 31, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump and a voice of MAGA for younger generations, had a significant social media following, with a podcast as co-founder of Turning Point USA.
He was fatally shot last week on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, during a question and answer session.
What To Know
Omar also spoke with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Friday night about the congresswoman’s ongoing feud with Trump and Republican U.S. Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina, which resulted in a failed censure vote this week in the House.
On September 18, the House narrowly rejected the resolution to censure Omar over her remarks and social media posts following the assassination of Kirk. The vote, which failed 214-213, blocked a proposal led by Mace that also called for Omar’s removal from her committee positions, including the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and the House Budget Committee.
Four Republican lawmakers joined Democrats in opposing the censure, which Mace said was justified because of what she labeled as Omar’s disrespectful comments on Kirk.
“When we say we want a country that’s united, it starts with all of us and all of our actions and we’re not seeing that on the other side of the aisle right now,” Omar told Collins on Friday night.
The Minnesota Democrat also said that she extends “grace” to Kirk’s wife and kids in the interview with CNN, adding, “I cannot imagine what they are going through. But the reality is, his wife sat by him as he said those things.”
The Democratic lawmaker also called out Trump for urging her impeachment. A two-thirds vote is required to oust members of Congress; they cannot be impeached.
Democratic U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota speaks during a markup meeting with the House Budget Committee on May 16 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Democratic U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota speaks during a markup meeting with the House Budget Committee on May 16 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
What People Are Saying
Trump, on Truth Social Thursday: “Ilhan Omar’s Country of Somalia is plagued by a lack of central Government control, persistent Poverty, Hunger, Resurgent Terrorism, Piracy, decades of Civil War, Corruption, and pervasive Violence. 70% of the population lives in extreme Poverty, and widespread Food Insecurity.
“Somalia is consistently ranked among the World’s Most Corrupt Countries, including Bribery, Embezzlement, and a Dysfunctional Government. All of this, and Ilhan Omar tells us how to run America! P.S. Wasn’t she the one that married her brother in order to gain Citizenship??? What SCUM we have in our Country, telling us what to do, and how to do it.
“Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Democratic Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota, on X Wednesday: “Just took a dip into the cesspool that is Nancy Mace’s social media. It’s shameful the way she is vilifying my friend Ilhan Omar to raise money for herself. Honestly, what Representative Mace has been doing illustrates all that is wrong with our politics right now.”
What Happens Next
The failure of the censure motion leaves Omar in her current House committee posts, but Republican lawmakers have signaled that similar efforts could resume.
Update 9/19/25, 11:09 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris revealed details of a phone conversation she held with President Donald Trump after conceding the 2024 presidential election.
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email Thursday night for comment.
Why It Matters
Harris’ concession, her phone call with Trump and the new memoir carry political and historical significance.
The book documents the end of a 107-day campaign that placed the sitting vice president atop the Democratic ticket after former President Joe Biden withdrew, and offers an inside account of strategic decisions that shaped the race—notably Harris’ choice of running mate and calculations on electability and coalition-building.
These decisions, and how she recounts them, could shape how Democrats assess strategy moving forward.
What To Know
According to excerpts reviewed by The New York Times, Harris said that during her concession phone call, she asked Trump to help bring the country together but knew in the moment it was “a lost cause.”
According to the Times, Trump said, “I am going to be so nice and respectful.”
“You are a tough, smart customer, and I say that with great respect. And you also have a beautiful name. I got use of that name, it’s Kamala,” Trump said, per the Times.
Harris said that Trump also pronounced her name correctly on the call after mispronouncing it while campaigning, the outlet added.
The former vice president also highlighted her selection of a running mate, saying she felt the world was not ready for a Black woman and a gay man on one ticket, so she did not choose former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
“He would have been an ideal partner,” Harris wrote, “if I were a straight white man. But we were already asking a lot of America: to accept a woman, a Black woman, a Black woman married to a Jewish man. But knowing what was at stake, it was too big of a risk,” per an excerpt reported by the Times.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Emerge 20th Anniversary Gala in San Francisco on April 30. (Photo by CAMILLE COHEN/AFP via Getty Images) Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Emerge 20th Anniversary Gala in San Francisco on April 30. (Photo by CAMILLE COHEN/AFP via Getty Images)
What People Are Saying
Conservative commentator Scott Jennings, on X Thursday: “Kamala Harris claims she couldn’t pick Pete Buttigieg as her VP because he’s gay, so she settled for buffoon Tim Walz. So to her, being gay is a bigger liability than endorsing taxpayer-funded sex changes for minors?! This logic is incoherent. Voters made the right choice.”
This is a developing story that will be updated with additional information.
new video loaded: Senate Votes In Trump Pick for Fed Board
transcript
transcript
Senate Votes In Trump Pick for Fed Board
Senate Republicans confirmed President Trump’s nomination of Stephen Miran, a top White House economic adviser, as a governor for the Federal Reserve on Monday.
“The yeas are 48. The nays are 47, and the nomination is approved.”
new video loaded: What Charlie Kirk Meant to His Young Supporters
transcript
transcript
What Charlie Kirk Meant to His Young Supporters
At a memorial outside of the hospital where Charlie Kirk died, mourners described his impact on younger generations.
“He actually played a big role in how I thought about politics, and how I put politics and God together. One day I was scrolling on TikTok. It was probably like 2020. I found him and I really just loved what he was saying.” “I think her finding him helped her develop that sense of confidence. This will affect us.” “I wanted to come put big balloons or flowers. Pay my respects.” “I was so heartbroken.” “I bet.” “When they told me Charlie was gone. Just because somebody says something you don’t like doesn’t mean you get to kill people. He didn’t deserve it. I am 10 years old, and how I learned about Charlie Kirk was he did these really great shows. And one of the most important things that he said is: I love God, I love my family, and I love my country.” “He kind of said what we were all thinking. Just that traditional families is just — that’s just how families are supposed to be done. That’s what resonated with a lot of us.” “I’m not really big on politics. I was a little bit more in between, and just kept the peace and didn’t speak my mind. Honestly, going forward, this makes me more empowered to feel a little bit more conservative and speak my mind honestly, because I’m just so sick of it.” “It feels we’re on the brink of something that’s a little bit scary, but a little bit revolutionary.” “Him passing is just I feel like hard on everyone in our community right now.”
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Kassie Bracken, Jeremy Raff, Mark Boyer, Monika Cvorak and Shawn Paik
As Zohran Mamdani greeted supporters following his upset victory over Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary in June, the chants erupting around him weren’t about pragmatism or compromise—they were about housing, justice and revenge against a system he said had failed ordinary people.
“This wasn’t just a primary,” Mamdani told the crowd. “This was a referendum on a crumbling status quo.”
The 33-year-old democratic socialist’s victory wasn’t just a local surprise; it symbolizes a broader political shift. Across the nation, more voters—urban and rural, working-class and professional—are rejecting technocratic centrism in favor of leaders who promise to fight, not finesse.
For decades, “moderation” in U.S. politics was synonymous with stability. The Reagan era’s embrace of supply-side economics in the 1980s set a conservative template; the Clinton years extended it through “Third Way” centrism—balanced budgets, free trade, welfare reform. The pitch: a steady hand at the wheel.
Newsweek Illustration/Getty Images
But the underlying economy didn’t support that narrative for long. From 1980 to 2020, the top 1 percent went from controlling 25 percent of national wealth to nearly 40 percent, according to Federal Reserve data. Over the same period, wage growth for middle- and lower-income workers stagnated.
Housing costs also jumped 300 percent in urban areas, far outpacing income. By 2024, Gallup reported just 34 percent of Americans identified as moderate—down from over 40 percent in the early 1990s—while self-identified conservatives and liberals reached historic highs.
“Moderation meant compromise—not excitement. People lost faith that those deals ever made a difference at their own dining table,” Mike Madrid, a political consultant and co-founder of the Lincoln Project, told Newsweek. “When rent and tuition cost more than your paycheck, a handshake won’t help.”
As the 2024 election made clear, politics is now filtered through the realities of inflation and affordability. Inflation peaked above 9 percent in 2022 and remains stubbornly elevated; nearly 40 percent of Americans say the cost of groceries is their biggest concern, a July AP-NORC poll found.
Mamdani’s win in New York was the clearest sign of this mood on the left: a candidate who spoke bluntly about rent, wages and fairness defeating a seasoned moderate with a long career in public service, even if it ended in disgrace. Democrats have often hesitated to fully embrace that message, but Republicans have done the opposite with Donald Trump—rallying quickly and decisively around a single figure who steadily pushed moderates out of his party.
MAGA: The First Rebellion
The first real test of this shift came from the right. Donald Trump’s rise in 2016 marked a direct challenge to Republican orthodoxy, promising to fight for those left behind by globalization while mocking the party’s traditional leadership.
By 2025, the transformation was complete. A mid-2025 Gallup survey found that 77 percent of Republicans identified as conservative, while moderates dropped to a historic low of 18 percent. And even as the president’s overall popularity has slipped in his second term, more than 85 percent of Republicans still approve of Trump’s leadership.
Mitt Romney and John McCain talk on Romney’s campaign bus on January 4, 2012. Mitt Romney and John McCain talk on Romney’s campaign bus on January 4, 2012. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
“Republicans have near unanimity in supporting Donald Trump, and he is exhibiting strong leadership,” Republican strategist Matt Klink told Newsweek. “Contrast this sharply with Mitt Romney‘s loss in the 2012 presidential election and the Republican Party being rudderless.”
It was a hostile takeover of a party that once valued calm stewardship and corporate-friendly conservatism. Mitt Romney was sidelined. John McCain fought Trump until his death in 2018. George W. Bush‘s brand of “compassionate conservatism” was shelved before he even left office. Liz Cheney was cast out of House leadership and lost her Wyoming seat after defying Trump on January 6. Paul Ryan walked away from Congress as Trump’s grip tightened. Marco Rubio fell in line and now serves as his secretary of state. One by one, the party’s old guard was replaced, leaving the GOP remade in Trump’s image.
But Trump’s consolidation of the GOP is only half the story. His political rise has also reordered the map of American politics in ways that continue to haunt Democrats. According to a New York Times analysis, Trump improved Republican margins in nearly half of U.S. counties across his three presidential campaigns—1,433 in all—while Democrats gained ground in just 57.
The Democrats’ Mamdani Dilemma
Mamdani’s primary upset in New York reflects a similar shift on the left. His platform—rent freezes, city-owned grocer stores, free bus service, steep taxes on the wealthy—was more blueprint than compromise. His backers are not looking for a manager; they want a revolution.
And the numbers show their enthusiasm. In the June primary, Mamdani defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo by 12 percentage points, earning 56.4 percent of the final round of ranked-choice votes to Cuomo’s 43.6 percent—a decisive victory for an underdog few expected to win.
But the Democratic establishment has kept him at arm’s length, despite polls showing Mamdani likely to win the general election in November. Weeks after his win, half of the state’s top Democrats still hadn’t endorsed him. Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have all stayed silent—often mumbling through media appearances when pressed on the subject.
At “Brooklyn Against Trump” Event, Zohran Mamdani and Brooklyn Leaders Call Out Trump and Cuomo as Architects of Housing CrisisBrooklyn Against Trump At “Brooklyn Against Trump” Event, Zohran Mamdani and Brooklyn Leaders Call Out Trump and Cuomo as Architects of Housing CrisisBrooklyn Against Trump Zohran Mamdani for NYC/YouTube
“It is pathetic,” said former Barack Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau during a recent episode of Pod Save America, the popular liberal podcast. “Donald Trump’s going to try to get Eric Adams out of the race so that he can help Andrew Cuomo. Meanwhile, Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer have not yet endorsed the candidate who won the Democratic primary in New York City—the choice of Democratic voters,” he added.
For some on the left, dissatisfaction with Democratic leadership has reignited a longstanding debate about the party’s future. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has even suggested that progressives consider running as independents rather than as Democrats.
“If there’s any hope for the Democratic Party, it is that they’re going to have to reach out—open the doors and let working-class people in,” Sanders said during his “Stopping Oligarchy” tour, a five-city rally alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez aimed at mobilizing resistance to Trump, Elon Musk, and what they describe as a billionaire-led assault on American government.
“If not, people will be running as independents, I think, all over this country.”
“We’re seeing Democrats in New York who want to flip the tables over, much like Republicans did in their Tea Party moment,” Madrid, the political analyst, told Newsweek. “Voters seem to be asking their politicians to take a stand and adopt clear positions, and I think one of the reasons the Democratic campaign lost last year was because the positions weren’t clear enough.”
Can the Center Hold?
Not all centrists are fading. But they no longer sell themselves. Survival now depends less on policy and more on posture. Candidates who look like fighters—even if their actual politics are relatively moderate—are the ones breaking through.
In Arizona, Senator Ruben Gallego offered a glimpse of what that looks like. Running in a state Donald Trump carried, Gallego didn’t try to tiptoe around culture wars or triangulate. He leaned into toughness, telling voters he would fight for wages, affordability, and border security while refusing to get pulled into debates over “masculinity” that have roiled both parties.
Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., arrives for a vote in the Capitol on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., arrives for a vote in the Capitol on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via AP Images
“A lot of times we forget that we still need men to vote for us. That’s how we still win elections. But we don’t really talk about making the lives of men better, working to make sure that they have wages so they can support their families,” Gallego said in a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times Magazine.
“He’s not playing both sides,” Madrid told Newsweek. “He’s saying: I’ll go fight and I’ll come home with results. People see that. They want that posture. His win showed that even in red states, a Democrat could compete if they looked like someone ready to brawl for ordinary people.”
The same instinct is showing up elsewhere. California Governor Gavin Newsom, once accused of hedging or “fence sitting,” on divisive issues, has adopted a more aggressive style in his battles with Trump, boosting his standing in Democratic primaries. Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders still draw crowds because they fight visibly.
“The lesson for Democrats is to stop talking only to their base,” Madrid said. “You can have politicians in the very center of the party like Gallego or on the far left like Mamdani, and both are succeeding right now.”
Klink, the veteran GOP strategist, also warned that moderation without fire simply doesn’t cut through anymore. “Generally, Democrats fare better when they nominate a moderate candidate,” he said. “But the base decides the pace. Moderates decide the margin. Without base energy—without fight and authenticity—you’re invisible.”
While Democrats are still grappling with whether to embrace the party’s more radical flank or hold to the center, the picture inside the GOP is far clearer. Trump has already answered the question for Republicans: the path to power runs through him. Where Democrats debate strategy and identity, Republicans measure their future in degrees of loyalty to the president.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) (L) and Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) (R) take an elevator just off the Senate floor after the Senate stayed in session throughout the night at the U.S. Capitol Building on July… Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) (L) and Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) (R) take an elevator just off the Senate floor after the Senate stayed in session throughout the night at the U.S. Capitol Building on July 1, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
A CBS News/YouGov survey found that 65 percent of Republican voters say loyalty to Trump is important, with more than a third calling it “very important.” In practice, that has meant dissenters often retreat when it matters. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has voiced concerns about Trump’s hold on the party but still voted for his signature “One Big, Beautiful Bill.” Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia briefly criticized the package, then fell back in line to support it.
After months of friction with the White House, Senator Thom Tillis and Representative Don Bacon announced their retirements rather than continue testing their luck in a party where deviation is punished and loyalty is prized. In today’s Trumpist party, such departures have become increasingly rare — simply because so few dissenters remain.
As ICE ramps up for more deportations under President Trump, Nicholas Nehamas, a Washington correspondent for The New York Times, talks with applicants at an ICE recruitment fair in Texas.
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Nicholas Nehamas, Kassie Bracken, Christina Shaman, June Kim and Andrew Cagle
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, will be facing a political test when Congress reconvenes this fall as lawmakers will be considering a new funding bill to avoid a government shutdown.
Newsweek reached out to Schumer’s office for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Democratic voters across the country have become increasingly frustrated with what they view as a feeble response from congressional leaders to President Donald Trump‘s agenda amid his second term in office. Democrats in Congress lack a majority in the House and Senate, limiting their ability to block his agenda from passing, but voters have pushed for stronger action from elected officials.
Schumer faced a tsunami of Democratic backlash in March after he declined to block a Republican-led stopgap bill to avoid a government shutdown. Schumer and eight other Democrats voted in favor of a procedural motion to allow debate on the bill but ultimately voted against its passage. That vote, however, allowed it to pass the filibuster and become law, Democratic critics say.
What To Know
Congress has until October 1 to pass a series of bills to fund the government through fiscal year (FY) 2026. Republicans have slim majorities in both chambers—a 219-212 advantage in the House and a 53-47 advantage in the Senate—meaning any vote on the package may again prove to be a tight vote.
This presents challenges for both parties—Republican leaders will have to appease both swing-district moderates and Make America Great Again (MAGA)-aligned conservatives
However, Democrats like Schumer will also be facing a test as he seeks to appease the Democratic voter base, while also working with Republicans to get some concessions in the bills.
In March, Democrats from across the spectrum expressed frustration with Schumer and other Democrats advancing the spending bill despite a lack of concessions made by Republicans to earn his support on the bill, which critics argued cut critical programs. Democrats called for Schumer to face a future primary or step down as party leader, which he has declined to do.
Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Associated Press/Canva/Getty
Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, also a New York Democrat, sent a leader to GOP leadership urging a meeting to “discuss the need to avert a painful, unnecessary lapse in government funding and to address the healthcare crisis Republicans have triggered in America.”
“The government funding issue must be resolved in a bipartisan way,” they wrote. “That is the only viable path forward.”
In the past, Democrats largely compromised “out of a calculation that the blame for a government shutdown could land more on them than on the Republicans,” Grant Davis Reeher, professor of political science at Syracuse University, told Newsweek.
“They run the same risk if they try to turn this new set of negotiations into a bigger fight over the Constitution and basic principles. That will appeal to the core base of their party, which wants to see more backbone, but it’s not clear how it play with the entire country,” he added.
Reeher said that the Senate, where legislation generally needs to pass the 60-vote filibuster to end debate on a bill, presents Democrats a stronger chance of mitigating some of Republicans’ desires to cut spending.
Democrats’ strategy on the legislation will largely depend on whether their goal is to mitigate future spending cuts or to walk back cuts already made to programs like Medicaid or public broadcasting, Reeher added, noting they would need to be more aggressive in the second strategy.
Anne Danehy, senior associate dean and associate professor of the practice at Boston University’s College of Communications, told Newsweek that Schumer may be “stuck in a tough position,” and that how he communicates about his decision-making process and vote is critical.
Democrats have two opposing philosophies on how to approach this sort of legislation, she said.
One side of the party believes Democrats should not “give Republicans anything” to show they disapprove of the “dismantling of the federal government, Danehy said.
“You have others like Schumer who are saying, ‘We don’t have a lot of choice here. We need to gain something or we lose everything, so we need to compromise or the American people could really suffer,’” she added.
Danehy warned that more Democratic outrage on the matter would further break down the party’s influence, which should be a concern for leadership as negotiations on the spending bills begin.
Reeher and Danehy questioned whether a more progressive Democrat could successfully primary Schumer in 2028 if he chooses to run again, even if he again faces outrage from parts of the base.
“There’s been a lot of talk about a credible primary challenge, but I don’t see that happening or at least being successful. Senator Schumer is not Joseph Crowley; he remains very attentive to New York State issues and to local communities,” Reeher said. “He won’t look past a potential threat. And a credible challenger would be risking a lot in taking him on.”
Others, however, have floated potential candidates like Representative Alexandria-Ocasio Cortez of New York who represents parts of the Queens and the Bronx in Congress, as a potential alternative candidate to Schumer in 2028—if she doesn’t run for president, that is.
Some polls have suggested Ocasio-Cortez could have an early advantage over Schumer. A Data for Progress poll, which surveyed 767 likely New York voters from March 26 to March 31, showed Ocasio-Cortez leading Schumer 54 to 36 percent.
But the primary is still years away, and the political landscape may change after the 2026 midterms when Democrats are hoping to reclaim control of the House and Senate. So, it’s quite unclear what issues may be at the forefront of Democrats’ minds come 2028.
What People Are Saying
Grant Davis Reeher, professor of political science at Syracuse University, also told Newsweek: “We’ve seen from polling that a lot of the Republican and Trump initiatives so far are not terribly popular, and that the public has some real concerns about some of the spending cuts, and the war on the federal workforce. Democrats should keep the focus on those things going into the midterms and not let the question of who is to blame for stalled negotiations on keeping the government running interfere with that focus. In that sense, I tend to agree with Senator Schumer.”
Senator Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told NBC News host Kristen Welker on a Meet the Press interview in March: “I knew when I cast my vote against the government shutdown that there would be a lot of controversy. And there was. But let me tell you and your audience why I did it, why I felt it was so important. The CR [continuing resolution] was certainly bad…But a shutdown would be 15 or 20 times worse. Under a shutdown, the Executive Branch has sole power to determine what is, quote, ‘essential.’ And they can determine without any court supervision.”
What Happens Next?
Negotiations may begin over the coming weeks, and Congress has until October 1 to pass some sort of spending bill to keep the government open. Whether they will have to continue relying on temporary stopgap measures or can successfully pass the appropriations bills is yet to be seen.
