Schumer’s time as Senate leader has been tumultuous, to say the least. But now he’s made things even worse for himself.
And Chuck Schumer has egg on his face after doing this one humiliating thing live on camera.
In an awkward moment that quickly went viral, no one clapped when Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) formally announced his support for Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee in place of President Joe Biden during a press conference on Tuesday.
“President Biden’s selfless decision has given the Democratic Party the opportunity to unite behind a new nominee. And boy, oh boy, are we enthusiastic,” Schumer began, expressing strong support for Harris while oddly claiming that this decision was grassroots-driven.
“In quick order, Vice President Harris has done a truly impressive job securing the majority of delegates needed to win the Democratic Party’s nomination to be our next President to the United States. The vast majority of my senators quickly and enthusiastically endorsed her,” he said, glossing over the fact that Democrat voters didn’t choose Harris as their nominee.
“So now that the process has played out from the grassroots bottom up, we are here today to throw our support behind Vice President Kamala Harris,” Schumer announced with enthusiasm, clapping his hands.
When he realized no one else was clapping, he awkwardly said, “I’m clapping. You don’t have to.”
Chuck Schumer just had a humiliating Jeb Bush moment
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) July 23, 2024
He says “we are here today to throw our support behind Kamala!”
*nobody claps*
So he starts awkwardly clapping
Oofpic.twitter.com/uh7Ffqap4d
The silence extended for a few seconds, filled only by Schumer’s nervous laughter, before he added, “It’s a happy day. What can I say?”
Another viral clip from the press conference shows Schumer trying once more to garner audible support for Harris.
He attempted to rally enthusiasm by declaring, “Vice President Harris secured a majority of delegates. Today in Wisconsin and across America, we begin our next chapter, and it will be our best yet.”
“Vice President Harris will beat Donald Trump and become the next President of the United States of America.” He then pointed to the audience, asking, “Applause?”
When the audience again remained silent, Schumer smiled and called on Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) to speak, hoping to move past the second awkward moment of the event.
TOUGH CROWD, CHUCK!
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 23, 2024
Nobody likes Kamala. pic.twitter.com/it0lukrw7A
A YouGov survey taken on the day President Biden announced he would not seek reelection reveals mixed sentiments among the public.
Only 37 percent believe Harris should be the Democratic nominee, while 35 percent think it should be someone else.
Among Democrats, 60 percent support Harris as the nominee, but the remaining 40 percent are either unsure or prefer another candidate. Specifically, 21 percent of Democrats believe it should be “someone else,” and 19 percent remain uncertain.
You can watch the entire cringe-filled press conference below:
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
