David Axelrod Says Chuck Schumer Is Likely Cooked as Democratic Leader: ‘He’s in Bigger Trouble Now’

CNN analyst and former Obama administration adviser David Axelrod said Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) “is in bigger trouble” with Democrats than ever, and predicted the party will have a new Senate leader after the 2026 midterm elections.

Schumer spent Sunday night and all of Monday serving as a punching bag for members of his own party, even more so than usual.

On Sunday, eight Senate Democrats voted to advance a Republican bill to fund and reopen the federal government, which shut down on Oct. 1. Republicans control the chamber 53-47, but 60 votes were needed to overcome a procedural hurdle known as cloture. The eight Democrats gave the bill the 60 votes it needed, as one Republican voted against the measure.

Senate Democrats held out in the hopes that Republicans would agree to support an extension of Covid-era subsidies for healthcare premiums under the Affordable Care Act. Those subsidies are set to expire on Dec. 31, after which the average out-of-pocket premium cost is expected to double for a majority of the 24 million Americans who receive healthcare under the ACA. Republicans refused to agree to an extension, but the eight Democrats gave them the necessary votes anyway. Although Schumer was not one of the eight, Democrats have fumed at what they see as either his inability to wrangle his own caucus or a tacit approval of the defections.

Axelrod appeared on Monday’s AC360 on CNN, where Anderson Cooper asked him, “Do you think Schumer could be in trouble here with the left flank of the party?”

“I think he’s been in trouble,” Axelrod replied. “I think he is in bigger trouble now. I honestly, I think Senator Schumer’s been there since 1982. My guess is that he won’t be leader of the party in 2027 after this election unless something really surprising happens.”

Axelrod pivoted to last week’s elections in several states, where Democrats won big in New Jersey, New York, and Virginia.

“And I think one of the problems Republicans have to consider now is Democrats did do a very good job of shining a bright light on this Affordable Care Act issue and the general issue of health care costs,” he continued. “And now Republicans were steadfast in opposing a solution to it. Maybe they’ll change their mind. But this is a heavy burden for them to carry into the midterm elections.”

In March, Schumer agreed to advance a Republican funding bill without receiving any concessions.

Watch above via CNN.