The Democrats are in crisis mode. The Party is facing an existential threat.
Because a Democrat Party civil war broke out when a rogue Democrat shot at Chuck Schumer.
Democrat Comes Out And Shoots At Chuck Schumer, Calling For The Senate Minority Leader To Step Down
On Tuesday, Representative Glenn Ivey, a Democrat from Maryland, made a striking demand during a town hall meeting with his constituents: Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer should relinquish his leadership role. This call arrives amid growing frustration within the Democratic Party, both from its passionate base and fellow congressional members, directed at Schumer’s recent choice to support a Republican-led spending bill aimed at preventing a government shutdown set for Friday.
Ivey’s public stance marks him as the first Democratic lawmaker to openly insist on Schumer’s removal from Senate leadership. Speaking to residents in his solidly Democratic district near Washington, D.C., Ivey expressed a mix of admiration and concern. “I respect Chuck Schumer. I think he had a great, long-standing career,” he said. “But I’m afraid that it may be time for the Senate Democrats to get a new leader.” He went further, addressing the shutdown debate directly: “I know shutting down the government is not good, I’ve tried to oppose it every time I could, but in this particular instance, it was something that we needed to do.” The crowd erupted in applause, signaling strong local support for his position.
Schumer’s decision to back the GOP bill has ignited a firestorm among congressional Democrats, who are now pressing for more aggressive opposition to the Republican-majority Senate. This discontent has spilled into the recess week, as lawmakers return home to face vocal left-wing voters pushing for a harder line against GOP lawmakers and President Donald Trump. The pressure isn’t just internal—mainstream media outlets have joined the fray. On Tuesday, CBS News host Gayle King confronted Schumer, telling him that voters lack “faith” in the Democratic Party.
The party’s standing with the public has taken a measurable hit. A CNN poll conducted by SSRS, released on Sunday, pegged the Democrats’ approval rating at a dismal 29%, the lowest ever recorded among Americans. Criticism of Schumer has even come from party heavyweights. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, speaking at a San Francisco town hall on Monday, took a swipe at the New York senator, suggesting to reporters that he squandered the Democrats’ leverage in the funding battle. A senior House Democrat, speaking anonymously to Axios, delivered a scathing quip: “His [Schumer’s] popularity is somewhere between Elon Musk and the Ebola virus.”
The backlash extends to potential 2028 Democratic presidential contenders. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, and New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have all voiced disapproval of Schumer’s vote to avoid the shutdown. Their criticism adds fuel to the growing narrative that Schumer’s leadership is faltering at a critical moment.
In response, Schumer has stood firm, defending his support for the Trump-backed spending package. He argues that allowing government funding to lapse would have inflicted greater harm. Dismissing calls to step aside, he has proclaimed himself the “best leader” for Senate Democrats and insists he has no intention of leaving his post. However, the mounting unrest has already forced a change in his plans. A cross-country book tour, scheduled to kick off on Monday, was postponed after left-wing grassroots organizations threatened protests at the events.
As the Democratic Party grapples with internal divisions and sinking public approval, Ivey’s bold demand may signal the start of a larger push to reshape its Senate leadership. For now, Schumer remains defiant, but the applause in Maryland and the jeers from his own party suggest his grip on power is under serious strain.
Democrat Crisis Point Arrives With Democrats In Panic Mode
The Democratic Party is facing a crisis of confidence among Americans, with a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS revealing a record low favorability rating. This decline is fueled in part by growing frustration from the party’s own supporters, who are increasingly dissatisfied with their leaders’ performance.
The poll, conducted from March 6-9, 2025, shows that Democrats and Democratic-aligned independents prefer a confrontational stance against President Donald Trump and the Republican agenda, with 57% favoring opposition over cooperation, compared to 42% who support working with the GOP to pass some Democratic priorities. This sentiment comes on the heels of a controversial vote where 10 Democratic senators, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, sided with Republicans to advance a GOP-authored spending bill to avoid a government shutdown—a move that angered many fellow Democrats and progressive critics.
This desire to oppose the GOP represents a stark shift from the early days of Trump’s first term. In September 2017, a CNN poll found that 74% of Democrats and Democratic leaners wanted their party to collaborate with Republicans to push their agenda, while only 23% supported a more combative approach. Today, the party’s base appears far more eager to resist.
The dissatisfaction extends to the party’s leadership, with 52% of Democratic-aligned adults saying the leadership is steering the party in the wrong direction, compared to 48% who approve. This marks a significant change from eight years ago, when views of the party’s direction were mostly positive. Among the broader American public, the Democratic Party’s favorability rating has plummeted to just 29%—the lowest in CNN polling since 1992 and a steep 20-point drop since January 2021, when Trump left office amid the fallout from the January 6 Capitol attack.
Within the Democratic ranks, discontent is palpable. Only 63% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents view their own party favorably, down from 72% in January 2025 and 81% at the start of President Joe Biden’s term. This decline spans ideological lines, with favorability dropping 18 points among both liberals and moderates since early 2021. Republicans, meanwhile, remain more united, with 79% of GOP supporters and leaners viewing their party positively. Political independents, however, are unimpressed with both parties, giving Democrats a 19% favorability rating and Republicans 20%.
Perceptions of extremism further complicate the Democrats’ standing. About half of Americans now view both parties as having policies that are too extreme, a shift from 2022 when 56% saw the Democratic Party as mainstream. While independents are more likely to label the GOP as too extreme (57%) compared to the Democrats (48%), 16% of Democrats admit their own party has veered too far, compared to just 9% of Republicans who say the same of the GOP. Meanwhile, the public sees a gap between Trump and his party, with Americans 9 points more likely to call the president too extreme than the Republican Party as a whole—down from an 18-point gap in 2022.
The Democrats’ struggles are compounded by a lack of a unifying figure to rally behind. When asked in an open-ended question to name the leader who “best reflects the core values” of the party, responses were scattered: 10% of Democratic-aligned adults chose Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 9% picked former Vice President Kamala Harris, 8% named Sen. Bernie Sanders, and 6% selected House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Former President Barack Obama and Rep. Jasmine Crockett each garnered 4%, while Schumer trailed at 2%. Over 30% of respondents couldn’t name anyone, with one bluntly stating, “No one. That’s the problem.”
Emerging figures like Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who recently delivered the party’s response to Trump’s presidential address, remain obscure. Nearly three-quarters of Americans either haven’t heard of her or have no opinion, and even among Democrats, she’s barely recognized—though those with an opinion lean positive, with 24% favorable to 6% unfavorable. Ocasio-Cortez, however, enjoys strong support among liberals and those under 45, with about 1 in 6 in each group naming her as the party’s standard-bearer. No leader polled in double digits among older adults or moderates.
Demographic divides further reveal the party’s internal tensions. Self-identified Democrats are far more likely than Democratic-leaning independents to view the party favorably (72% vs. 37%) and to approve of its direction (53% vs. 34%). Women (57%), people of color (57%), and those without college degrees (60%) within the Democratic coalition are more likely to back the leadership, while only 38% of men and 32% of White college graduates agree. Yet across all groups, majorities want the party to focus on stopping the GOP, with moderates being the lone exception—favoring compromise by a slim 51% to 48%.
