Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer appeared [1] on MSNBC’s “PoliticsNation” with Al Sharpton over the weekend, where he accused President Donald Trump and members of his administration of attempting to intimidate judges.
The comments came amid renewed Democrat criticism following the recent arrest of Judge Dugan in Wisconsin.
During the interview, Sharpton asked Schumer whether the United States was facing a constitutional crisis related to immigration and judicial independence.
“Yes! It has, unfortunately,” Schumer responded.
“Because what? Trump wants to be king. A king doesn’t have a constitution. A king just does whatever he wants and beyond. He just goes along with them.”
Schumer continued, “They’re trying to intimidate judges. This is not the first time or the second. They’ve said they want to impeach judges. They said they’re going to go after judges who don’t agree with them. That is so against the Constitution. The Constitution believes and has been written with the wisdom of the Founding Fathers, that we should have separation of powers. There should be an independent judiciary. When you go before a judge, you think that you hope and believe that that judge is impartial. What Trump, Bondi, and the whole Justice Department are trying to do is push that judge, threaten that judge, so the judge is no longer impartial. It is outrageous in both cases.”
The claims by Schumer come despite his own history of public statements targeting judges.
In 2020, Schumer faced bipartisan backlash after standing outside the Supreme Court and issuing a warning to Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch during a pro-abortion rights rally.
“I want to tell you, Gorsuch, I want to tell you, Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price,” Schumer said at the time.
“You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.”
The parallel between Schumer’s past rhetoric and his current criticism of Trump has drawn attention, particularly from conservative commentators who have pointed out the contrast.
A side-by-side comparison video of Schumer’s 2020 remarks and his recent statements circulated widely on social media following the MSNBC interview.
2025: Chuck Schumer says Trump wants to intimidate and threaten judges.
2020: Chuck Schumer tries to intimidate and threaten Justices of the Supreme Court. pic.twitter.com/FdisnZKk0I [2]
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) April 27, 2025 [3]
During the same segment, Schumer also addressed his leadership position within the Senate Democratic Caucus.
Despite low approval ratings, Schumer told Sharpton he had no plans to step aside as Senate Minority Leader.
Chuck Schumer says he’s not retiring:
“I’m staying put because I’ve been able to unite my caucus in a very strong fight against Trump.”
Imagine thinking your number one job qualification is fighting the man the American people just elected in an electoral landslide. Shameful. pic.twitter.com/bP1aH5Mo7n [4]
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) April 28, 2025 [5]
Democratic leaders have faced growing scrutiny as President Trump’s administration continues to pursue immigration enforcement policies and judicial reforms.
Schumer’s comments reflect a broader strategy by Democrat officials to frame the ongoing debates as a constitutional crisis, particularly around judicial independence and executive authority.
The discussion between Sharpton and Schumer took place as Democrats face internal challenges heading into upcoming elections.
Schumer’s leadership has come under criticism from both progressive and moderate factions of the Democratic Party, but for now, he remains in his role.
The controversy over judicial independence is expected to remain a key point of political debate in the months ahead, as Democrats continue to accuse the Trump administration of undermining the judiciary, while Republicans point to prior Democratic actions as evidence of political hypocrisy.