Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) admitted Tuesday that he has conceded some ground in negotiations with President Donald Trump over the proposed border wall, and liberals are furious over it.
Build the wall?
CNN's Manu Raju reported that Schumer was willing to cede $1.6 billion for border wall funding, far less than the $5 billion the president was requesting.
Sen. Chuck Schumer tells reporters at his on-cam presser that Democrats’ position is $1.6 billion for wall funding… https://t.co/ZEnDxQVivl— Manu Raju (@Manu Raju) 1543348482.0
"Sen. Chuck Schumer tells reporters at his on-cam presser that Democrats’ position is $1.6 billion for wall funding," Raju tweeted, "far less than the $5 billion Trump wants — but he won’t say if Democrats are shutting the door on anything more, saying he’s not going to negotiate in public."
Raju later indicated that Schumer's office corrected the statement by adding that the $1.6 billion was for border security, including fencing, but not a wall.
“The $1.6 billion for border security negotiated by Democrats and Republicans is our position," Schumer said at the media briefing.
'We should stick to this agreement'
Schumer later tweeted a clarification, saying that Trump would cause a government shutdown if he didn't agree to the Democrats' terms.
Our position has been clear from the beginning: Ds & Rs have a months-old agreement in the Senate. $1.6B for border… https://t.co/4JkUHtrk1q— Chuck Schumer (@Chuck Schumer) 1543366123.0
"We should stick to this agreement. If POTUS interferes, he is responsible for a shutdown," he tweeted.
'This is a joke... we don’t deserve to be in power.'
But many on the left saw the negotiation as a complete capitulation to Trump, and they did not shy away from saying so on social media.
"This is malpractice, politically and substantively," said MSNBC host Chris Hayes.
"Your periodic reminder that Nancy Pelosi was the only person in all of Democratic leadership to face a coup attempt. Also Dems on track to win 40 net House seats, cede FL, MO, IN and ND U.S. Senate seats. All of this is fine," tweeted fellow MSNBC host Joy Reid.
"People living in our borderlands would have their environment and communities destroyed by Trump’s wall, @SenSchumer. They deserve a public debate," tweeted the official ACLU account. "We’ll start: There’s no reason Democrats should be giving in and allocating any funding for a wall, let alone $1.6 billion."
"No idea why Chuck Schumer is still the Senate Minority leader," said journalist Molly Knight. "This is a joke. If he’s the best we can do then we don’t deserve to be in power."
"The moral position on this would be $0 for a wall, but the next principled stand Chuck Schumer takes will be his first," tweeted the official account for the New York Democratic Socialists.
Others, like transgender political activist Charlotte Clymer, blamed sexism for the uprising against House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as compared to Schumer.
I repeat: Chuck Schumer not having a glove laid on him this month while Nancy Pelosi is weirdly being roasted in th… https://t.co/zOtUV6y0Da— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️🌈 (@Charlotte Clymer 🏳️🌈) 1543364506.0
"I repeat: Chuck Schumer not having a glove laid on him this month while Nancy Pelosi is weirdly being roasted in the press after a 39+ seat landslide Midterm victory really captures the essence of sexism in American politics," Clymer tweeted.