Hours of delicate negotiations between Senate leaders collapsed Saturday night after President Donald Trump abruptly pulled the plug on a potential bipartisan agreement, accusing Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of political extortion and telling him to “GO TO HELL.”
The outburst, published on Trump’s platform Truth Social, came after lawmakers from both parties had inched toward a deal that would have allowed votes on dozens of the president’s nominees. According to Fox News Digital, the agreement would have included up to 60 appointees — many of whom had already passed committee vetting with bipartisan support.
But Trump’s post derailed those efforts.
"Schumer is demanding over One Billion Dollars in order to approve a small number of our highly qualified nominees," Trump wrote. "This demand is egregious and unprecedented, and would be embarrassing to the Republican Party if it were accepted. It is political extortion, by any other name."
The president added:
“Tell Schumer... to GO TO HELL! Do not accept the offer. Go home and explain to your constituents what bad people the Democrats are... Have a great RECESS and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”
Following the social media tirade, senators voted on only seven nominees before adjourning for their August recess. The rest of the slate was shelved until lawmakers return in September.
Schumer responded to the collapse with a pointed floor speech, accusing Trump of killing a deal that had bipartisan momentum.
“He took his ball, he went home, leaving Democrats and Republicans alike wondering what the hell happened,” Schumer said, standing beside a printout of Trump’s post. “In a fit of rage, Trump threw in the towel, sent Republicans home, and was unable to do the basic work of negotiating.”
The proposed agreement included Democratic demands for the White House to lift freezes on National Institutes of Health (NIH) and foreign aid funding. Democrats also sought a commitment to avoid future clawback attempts from previously approved funding.