Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) sent a letter to President Donald Trump demanding a meeting with the President after Republican congressional leaders “have repeatedly and publicly refused to engage in bipartisan negotiations to keep the government open.”
The letter to the President reads: “We demand a meeting” and asserts that “it is now your obligation to meet with us directly.”
Former Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) responded to the letter with frustration: “Ok for the 100th time. Democrats need to instead be reminding America they have NO POWER and this is entirely on the GOP to fund govt. entirely. If they need dem help then ok but there will be a cost. Is anyone over there any good at messaging?”
Ok for the 100th time. Democrats need to instead be reminding America they have NO POWER and this is entirely on the GOP to fund govt. entirely.
If they need dem help then ok but there will be a cost.
Is anyone over there any good at messaging? https://t.co/EEwQ5j9906
— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini)
(@AdamKinzinger) September 21, 2025
Note: Jeffries did say on the House floor on Friday (see below), “If there is a government shutdown, Republicans will own it.”
Yet Kinzinger’s message — that the Republicans who in July pushed through the reconciliation package (the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”) without Democratic support should bear full responsibility for a shutdown — isn’t what the public hears.
If there is a government shutdown, Republicans will own it. pic.twitter.com/oKn9cnXzhs
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) September 19, 2025
New York Times best-selling author and influential political activist Don Winslow (900K followers on X) also responded negatively to the letter and wrote to Schumer: “Wow @SenSchumer you’re demanding a meeting. Will that be followed by a sternly worded letter or maybe a tweet with exclamation points?”
After watching Schumer on CNN with Dana Bash this weekend (below), Winslow warned Democrats: “For those Democrats standing with and supporting @SenSchumer know that you are making the same critical mistake that you made with Merrick Garland. I told you then. I tell you again now. Chuck Schumer is the Merrick Garland of the Senate.”
Note: While U.S. Attorney General, Garland was criticized by Democrats for the pace of the prosecution of Donald Trump after none of the indictments obtained by Special Counsel Jack Smith resulted in a trial before the November 2024 election, which Trump won.
For those Democrats standing with and supporting @SenSchumer know that you are making the same critical mistake that you made with Merrick Garland.
I told you then.
I tell you again now.
Chuck Schumer is the Merrick Garland of the Senate.pic.twitter.com/mEwoq5ZDQs— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) September 21, 2025
Winslow added: “Dear @SenSchumer There is not 1 Democrat who felt reassured by your interview with @DanaBashCNN today. It’s not just that you’re saying all the wrong things, it’s that your spineless and refuse to fight Trump+Republicans. Your pattern is fake tough talk followed by submission.”