{"id":2499244,"date":"2025-10-15T14:47:01","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T18:47:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bessent-government-held-hostage-by-schumers-poll-numbers\/"},"modified":"2025-10-15T14:48:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T18:48:11","slug":"bessent-government-held-hostage-by-schumers-poll-numbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bessent-government-held-hostage-by-schumers-poll-numbers\/","title":{"rendered":"Bessent: government held &#8216;hostage&#8217; by Schumer&#8217;s poll numbers"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbessent-government-held-hostage-by-schumers-poll-numbers%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2499244&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticized Senate Minority Leader chuck Schumer for his role in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-pledges-pay-raises-for-military-members\/\" title=\"Trump pledges pay raises for military members\">ongoing federal government shutdown<\/a>, accusing him of being influenced by his low poll numbers. The shutdown, which began about two weeks ago, is being blamed by the Trump administration on Democratic lawmakers for not reaching an agreement to reopen the government. Bessent suggested that Democrats might be waiting for a nationwide protest to end before ending the shutdown. He urged moderate Democrats to break ranks and support reopening the government, calling them &#8220;heroes&#8221; if they do so.<\/p>\n<p>Bessent described Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries as detached from mainstream America and said the government is held &#8220;hostage&#8221; by Schumer&#8217;s declining approval ratings. Schumer&#8217;s favorability has fallen to its lowest point in two decades, raising concerns about his potential reelection in 2028. Bessent defended House Speaker Mike Johnson&#8217;s efforts, noting that Johnson passed a &#8220;clean&#8221; continuing resolution backed by some Democrats, and praised Senate Majority Leader John Thune for <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >holding daily votes aimed<\/a> at ending the shutdown. Other officials, including Transportation Secretary sean Duffy, also expressed frustration over the shutdown&#8217;s impact on essential services such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/search-and-rescue-teams-at-site-of-indonesian-plane-crash\/\" title=\"Search and rescue teams at site of Indonesian plane crash\">air traffic control<\/a>. Bessent blamed Democratic leadership, particularly Schumer, for prolonging the shutdown due to political calculations tied to their poll standings.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Bessent says federal government held &lsquo;hostage&rsquo; by Schumer&rsquo;s poll numbers<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2372812\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Treasury Secretary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/3851230\/bessent-government-price-floors-range-industries\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Scott Bessent<\/a> is the latest to target Senate Minority Leader <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3850709\/schumer-lands-prized-senate-recruits-key-battlegrounds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chuck Schumer<\/a> (D-NY) for the 2025 government shutdown, saying on Wednesday that Schumer is afraid of his poll numbers.<\/p>\n<p>The federal government is about two weeks into its shutdown, which the Trump administration is pinning on Democratic lawmakers for failing to make a deal to reopen the government. Bessent said there&rsquo;s &ldquo;a thought&rdquo; that Democratic lawmakers are waiting to end this shutdown until the &ldquo;crazy&rdquo; No Kings nationwide protest is over on Saturday.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3851498\/john-thune-senate-democrats-shutdown-test-pentagon-funding-vote\/\">Thune tees up Democrats&rsquo; next shutdown test with Pentagon funding vote<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3850649\/democrats-flip-america-first-script-republicans-argentina-bailout\/\">Democrats flip &lsquo;America First&rsquo; script on Republicans over Argentina bailout<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3848761\/john-thune-native-american-day\/\">Thune draws flak for &#8216;Native American Day&#8217; post<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>He added that the Pentagon turned to &ldquo;surplus funds&rdquo; to pay the U.S. military on Wednesday amid the shutdown. He encouraged &ldquo;moderate&rdquo; Democratic lawmakers to break from their party and vote to reopen the government, saying they would be &ldquo;heroes.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Chuck Schumer and [House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY)], they call them two guys from Brooklyn, who are completely detached from America. You know, we are hostage to Sen. Schumer&rsquo;s poll numbers,&rdquo; Bessent said at CNBC&rsquo;s Invest in America Forum.<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 640px; max-height: 360px; min-width: 320px; min-height: 180px; overflow: hidden;\">\n<div style=\"position: relative; width: 100%; padding-top: 56.25%;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/share.grabien.com\/share?id=3183696&amp;userid=11311&amp;loginid=9421&amp;playercolor=%23000000&amp;playersize=auto&amp;code=31c3d7c16f9b84ebdbb91f40471d1a69\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; border: 0px;\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&ldquo;He did the right thing &mdash; President [Donald] Trump congratulated him in the spring when he passed a clean [continuing resolution], and what&rsquo;s changed between now and then? His poll numbers. He has collapsed in the polls, and now it looks like Rep. Jeffries is going to be primaried from the Left. And I didn&rsquo;t think there was any room over there,&rdquo; Bessent said.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3347329\/schumer-caves-shutdown-battle-gop-clearing-way-funding-bill-passage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Schumer voted with Republicans in March<\/a> to help advance a House-passed stopgap measure to fund the government, and his approval rating has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3387536\/schumer-record-low-favorability-schumer-aoc-poll\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">drastically dropped since then<\/a>. August polling showed his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3497833\/chuck-schumer-lowest-favorability-rating-two-decades\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lowest approval rating in 20 years<\/a>, a bad omen should he seek reelection in 2028.<\/p>\n<p>Bessent pushed back against the idea that the current government is responsible for the shutdown, saying House Speaker <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3849612\/mike-johnson-volume-democrats-shutdown-bring-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mike Johnson<\/a> (R-LA) passed a &ldquo;clean&rdquo; continuing resolution that three Democratic senators are supporting. Bessent also said Senate Majority Leader <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/editorials\/3846730\/thune-needs-to-give-democrats-a-shutdown-offramp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">John Thune<\/a> (R-SD) is conducting votes &ldquo;every day&rdquo; to reopen the government, and Republicans want to &ldquo;negotiate&rdquo; on this.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/3851098\/hhs-rif-accidental-layoffs-government-shutdown\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>HHS SAID &lsquo;DATA DISCREPANCIES AND PROCESSING ERRORS&rsquo; LED TO RIF OF NEARLY TWO TIMES MORE EMPLOYEES THAN INTENDED<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>On Oct. 6, Johnson questioned why Schumer was changing his tune from March, holding up a copy of the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> magazine portraying Schumer getting heat for breaking ranks. Johnson said the Democratic Party&rsquo;s &ldquo;far-left base&rdquo; has turned on Schumer for working with Republicans, and Schumer is now partaking in &ldquo;a red herring&rdquo; focused on healthcare.<\/p>\n<p>    <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uBXFsoPejY4?si=q2RyLdSR4n2q7lnO\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>    <\/p>\n<p>Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3848174\/sean-duffy-blames-democrats-chaos-delayed-travel-prolonged-government-shutdown\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">also frustrated with the government shutdown<\/a> and the effect it is having on air traffic controllers showing up for work. He said Monday that these controllers will get paid, but when those paychecks get sent depends on &ldquo;when Chuck Schumer opens up the government.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bessent: Govt &#8216;held hostage&#8217; by Schumer&#8217;s poll fears<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2632,"featured_media":2499245,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ap-scott-bessent-and-chuck-schumer-e1760552225208.jpg?1760537820&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[45545,5045,35370,4411],"class_list":["post-2499244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-bessent","tag-government","tag-poll-numbers","tag-schumer"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ap-scott-bessent-and-chuck-schumer-e1760552225208.jpg?1760537820&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2499244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2632"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2499244"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2499244\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2499248,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2499244\/revisions\/2499248"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2499245"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2499244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2499244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2499244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}