WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is postponing several scheduled events this week to promote his new book, 鈥� ,鈥� after some liberal groups had planned to stage protests.
The cancellations of events in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and other cities came amid from the party鈥檚 liberal base over Schumer鈥檚 last week. Risa Heller, a representative for Schumer鈥檚 book, said the tour would be rescheduled 鈥渄ue to security concerns.鈥�
Schumer said the spending bill was 鈥渢errible鈥� but that a shutdown would have been far worse, and difficult to end, as President has already slashed jobs and funding for agencies across the government. A shutdown would have given Trump even more power to make cuts, Schumer said, 鈥渁nd so many programs would be lost.鈥�
House Democrats strongly disagreed with Schumer鈥檚 decision and criticized him directly: 鈥淲e will not be complicit,鈥� Democratic leaders said in a joint statement.
The public rift among Democrats, and the onslaught of criticism toward Schumer, came after years of relative unity during Trump鈥檚 first term and during President Joe Biden's time in the White House. It's a reflection of how Democrats have become with their inability to stop Trump鈥檚 Cabinet confirmations and .
At a news conference on Friday, House Democratic Leader repeatedly refused to say whether he has confidence in Schumer 鈥� a rare break for the two longtime New York colleagues.
鈥淲e do not want to shut down the government. But we are not afraid of a government funding showdown,鈥� Jeffries said.
Schumer and Jeffries met in Brooklyn on Sunday, according to two people familiar with the meeting. But the discontent with Schumer went far beyond House leadership, and some of the nation鈥檚 most influential progressive groups warned of serious political consequences.
Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible, wrote on social media last week that Democratic activists planned to express their anger at town halls or other public events. MoveOn, another progressive group that claims nearly 10 million members nationwide, predicted that its activists would also demand answers from Democratic officials.
鈥淐learing the way for Donald Trump and to gut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid is unacceptable. It鈥檚 past time for Democrats to fight and stop acting like it鈥檚 business as usual,鈥� said Joel Payne, a spokesperson for MoveOn.
In Baltimore on Monday evening, some protesters still gathered outside the Enoch Pratt Free Library where Schumer was scheduled to speak. While the group was more focused on Schumer's strong support for Israel, some speakers criticized his decision to vote to move forward with the spending bill. Homemade signs read 鈥淪chumer is a coward鈥� and 鈥淐huck sold us out.鈥�
One organizer celebrated that they had 鈥減ushed Chuck Schumer out of Baltimore,鈥� to cheers.
鈥淚f Sen. Schumer wants to come back, we鈥檒l be even more prepared,鈥� said Nikki Morse, a spokesperson with the Baltimore chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace.
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Associated Press writer Lea Skene in Baltimore contributed to this report.
Mary Clare Jalonick, The Associated Press
