Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) recently took a jab at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) during an appearance on Fox News. Kennedy praised Schumer for supporting the GOP’s continuing resolution (CR), but he also pointed out the backlash from Schumer’s fellow Democrats.
“Many Democrats are angry at Schumer. Among them right now, we’ve all seen the news, he’s about as popular as chlamydia,” Kennedy joked on Thursday’s “Hannity” show.
Schumer’s decision to vote for the CR caused a stir among House Democrats, leading some to demand his resignation. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) were among those criticizing Schumer’s vote, which included cuts to health care.
“I respect Chuck Schumer. I think he had a great, long-standing career,” Ivey said at a district forum. “But I’m afraid it may be time for Senate Democrats to choose a new leader.”
Despite the backlash, Schumer insists that he’s still the best person for the job. Kennedy, while acknowledging Schumer’s intelligence, humorously mentioned his history of mistakes in the Senate.
“I don’t hate anybody, that includes Senator Schumer. He’s very smart. On the other hand, Chuck’s often wrong. He never makes the same mistake twice. He makes it five or six times just to be sure,” Kennedy said, adding, “But this time he got it right in supporting our efforts to keep government open.”
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) also voted for the CR, citing fears of a government shutdown. Kennedy shared similar concerns, explaining that shutting down the government never helps anyone.
“Unless a football coach taught you history, you understand that shutting government down never achieves anything. It just scares people, especially the elderly,” he said.
