Perhaps the lowest moment in Chuck Schumer’s eight-year stint as leader of the Senate Democrats came in March, with an Et tu knife twist by speaker emerita Nancy Pelosi. It was government funding season, and Democrats had almost no leverage against Trump while DOGE rampaged through federal agencies. Seizing upon a rare moment of clout, Schumer had raised expectations that he might threaten a government shutdown to wring at least some concessions out of Republicans—after all, the funding bills needed Democratic support to pass. Instead, Schumer dropped the idea and simply announced he’d vote to fund the government, helping pass the Republicans’ continuing resolution, which prompted Pelosi to acidly remark: “I myself don’t give away anything for nothing.”