Schumer goes on MSNBC to blast Trump for criticizing him: ‘I’m just appalled’

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was aghast Thursday night after receiving a letter in which President Trump accused him of being a “bad” senator and asserted that Schumer was vulnerable to a primary challenge from within his own party.

“No wonder AOC [U. S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] and others are thinking about running against you in the primary. If they did, they would likely win,” Trump wrote.

The president’s letter was apparent retaliation after Schumer wrote to the White House earlier in the day, criticizing Trump’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak. The Democrat responded during an appearance on MSNBC.

“I’m just appalled,” Schumer said on the liberal network. “I say to the president, ‘Just stop the pettiness. People are dying. And so, President Trump, we need leadership, we need to get the job done. Stop the pettiness. Let’s get it done. Let’s roll up our sleeves. I sent the letter with the best of intentions, trying to improve a very bad situation.”

Schumer represents New York, which has become the epicenter for the outbreak in the U. S. with nearly 93,000 confirmed cases of the virus and more than 2,300 deaths as of late Thursday. Both figures were far greater than those for any other state.

Schumer told MSNBC host Chris Hayes he wrote to the president hoping to convince him to implement a more centralized plan for distributing medical supplies around the country, rather than allowing states to draft their own plans, as Trump has preferred.

Democrats and other critics have said Trump’s state-based plan has resulted in shipment delays, price gouging as states compete for supplies, and other problems.

“So this morning I sent the president a letter and said, ‘Why don’t you invoke the Defense Production Act and put in place a military person?” Schumer said. “Somebody who know... (Read more)

Tweets mentioned:

https://twitter.com/user/status/1245886485343109120

Latest News