Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is looking for redemption, but this isn’t it, sir. The leader of Senate Democrats got taken to the woodshed by his own base for caving on the shutdown fight, which he had to do since he didn’t have any leverage. Trump knew it. Senate Republicans knew it. They let him beat his chest when the initial procedural vote failed to get 60 votes and then waited for him to reverse course, which happened less than 36 hours later. It was the first sign that the Democratic Party was fractured, leaderless, and without a message.
So, the New York Democrat is trying to get back on his party’s good side by clogging up President Trump’s nominees for the Department of Justice, placing a hold over the Qatari-747 story, which is classic fake news (via NBC News):
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday he is placing a hold on all Trump Justice Department nominees as he seeks answers on the administration's plan to accept a luxury jet from Qatar to be used as Air Force One.
"In light of the deeply troubling news of a possible Qatari-funded Air Force One, and the reports that the Attorney General personally signed off on this clearly unethical deal, I am announcing a hold on all DOJ political nominees, until we get more answers,” Schumer said on the Senate floor.
The minority leader presented a list of questions and demands he says the Trump administration must respond to before he lifts his hold on nominees.
"President Trump has told the American people this is, 'a free jet.' Does that mean the Qataris are delivering a ready-on-day-one plane with all the security measures already built in? If so, who installed those security measures, and how do we know they were properly installed?" Schumer asked. "If this is, as President Trump promised, a free jet, will the Qataris pay for those highly sensitive installations, or will American taxpayers cover the cost?"
Schumer can’t block these nominees with this tactic, but he can slow down their consideration. It’s not really clear if the judicial nominees would have already been held for various other reasons, considering the vast majority of Trump nominees have been held in this way already.
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So, we’re weaponizing fake news, Chuck? First, it’s another sign that Democrats are desperate—making the 747 story your Alamo, really, guys? Second, it’s a nothing burger: Boeing is so far behind on the new aircraft for the president of the United States that Trump reached out to a defense contractor to finish the job, which led to the potential acquisition of a 747 once used by the Qatari royal family.
It saves taxpayers $400 million.
— Viva Frei (@thevivafrei) May 13, 2025
Boeing couldn’t deliver. On time. Or on budget.
Can you please kidnap yourself and not find yourself @theliamnissan? https://t.co/TijUCHCnRW
This story was reported on by @jdawsey1 in the WSJ TEN DAYS AGO
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) May 11, 2025
Then today @jonkarl decided to make up a bunch of lies https://t.co/yMDHBHnXPD pic.twitter.com/zIl9cUlCPr
Fake News
— Phil Holloway ✈️ (@PhilHollowayEsq) May 11, 2025
Boeing is so far behind schedule with the new Air Force One ordered years ago that Trump asked a Florida Defense contractor called L3Harris to overhaul a 747 once used by the Qatari government https://t.co/I7Hljtglul
These people got nothing, but let’s cripple the DOJ because ‘orange man…bad.’
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