I Wrote the Speech Chuck Schumer Should Have Given on Day 1

January 21, 2025. The day after the inauguration of Donald Trump & JD Vance. The steps of the United States Capitol.

START

Good morning.

I’m joined by every member of the Senate Democratic leadership. We are here today as one party, united in opposition to Donald Trump. Over the last 24 hours, my caucus in the Senate has met with the entire House Democratic Caucus led by Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. We are in total united agreement—our party will stand in opposition to Trump’s tyrannical regime. This is a president who operates outside the law. There is no compromise, no business as usual with an aspiring dictator.

The Democrats are the party of governance, and it’s with deep deliberation that we’ve come to the sobering conclusion that any cabinet or judicial nominee, any piece of legislation that we sign on to—is complicit in Trump’s bad-faith effort to destroy government and enrich himself and billionaires like Elon Musk. Therefore, Democrats will be voting “NO” to the Trump agenda, and we will make it our mission to earn your trust and explain our decisions every step of the way.

Every morning at 11 a.m. Eastern, 8 a.m. Pacific, Democrats in the Senate and House will hold a joint “People’s Briefing.” These briefings will be our opportunity to speak directly to you, the American people. We will break down Trump and Musk’s anti-Democratic attempts to butcher the federal government and our efforts to fight back.

Starting next week, Democrats will hold televised primetime hearings featuring civil service employees who have been terminated by Donald Trump and Elon Musk. The hearings will allow the American public to see firsthand how agencies that help consumers get money back from predatory lenders, provide lifesaving medicine around the globe, and assist America’s most vulnerable children really do matter.

Let me say this—dictators like propaganda. It is on every one of us to actively resist the lies peddled by this administration. Over the coming days and weeks, you will hear Trump and Musk say they are cutting federal spending to get rid of needed waste. Do not believe them. Their cuts have nothing to do with government waste and everything to do with their extreme right-wing, Christian nationalist, white supremacist ideology. Fox News will shamelessly amplify their lies. It’s on every one of us standing here—and every one of you at home to resist their propaganda.

To my Republican colleagues. You do not have to do this. You are being used as a pawn in Trump’s tyrannical scheme. Men like Donald Trump do not want to govern democratically. That means he will bypass the Congress altogether. He will follow authoritarian playbooks of watering down our system of checks and balances until he rules as one almighty king. He will slash and burn federal spending that helps Americans in your districts. And he will not ask the Congress for consent. I make a desperate plea to you. Join us. Join us in refusing to sell our democracy. We all took an oath of office to the Constitution. The American people are watching if you’ll honor it.

Finally, I want to say this—it has become clear over the past few elections that our party, the Democratic Party, has lost the trust of many voters. We did not do enough to make Americans feel seen and heard during this election cycle. Big-picture economic indicators do not always reflect reality for many Americans. We must take responsibility for this and do better.

Today, I’m announcing the formation of a new committee in our caucus led by Senators Warren, Booker, Schatz, Murphy, and Baldwin. This committee will travel across the United States to hold town halls where the American people can speak about their deepest concerns and priorities. At the conclusion, the committee will release an updated policy platform that we will use to campaign in the 2026 midterm elections.

American democracy has never been perfect. But it’s a damn good system. It’s always been about progress. The progress gained by opening more doors to opportunity for everyone—regardless of race, skin tone, national origin, sex, religion, or age. Never have we faced such a serious threat of losing it. But the American people don’t back down from a fight. We take pride in the possibility of America, even in our darkest days. We will return here at 11 a.m. tomorrow for Day 1 of the People’s Briefing.

Thank you, and from here, I’ll open it up to questions.

END

*In attendance: Minority Whip: Senator Dick Durbin (Illinois), Chair of the Steering and Policy Committee: Senator Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota), Chair of the Strategic Communications Committee: Senator Cory Booker (New Jersey. Vice Chairs of the Senate Democratic Caucus: Senator Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts) and Senator Mark Warner (Virginia), Chair of the Senate Democratic Outreach Committee: Senator Bernie Sanders (Vermont), Secretary of the Senate Democratic Caucus: Senator Tammy Baldwin (Wisconsin), Chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (New York), Vice Chair of the Senate Democratic Outreach Committee: Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (Nevada), Deputy Secretaries of the Senate Democratic Caucus: Senator Brian Schatz (Hawaii) and Senator Chris Murphy (Connecticut), Vice Chair of the Steering and Policy Committee: Senator Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire), Vice Chair of the Strategic Communications Committee: Senator Tina Smith (Minnesota), Chief Deputy Whip: Senator Brian Schatz (Hawaii), Deputy Whips: Senator Ben Ray Luján (New Mexico), Senator Jeff Merkley (Oregon), Senator Jacky Rosen (Nevada), and Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (Delaware), President pro tempore emerita: Senator Patty Murray (Washington).

A note to subscribers: I aim to keep most, if not all, of this content free of charge. However, I would greatly appreciate it if you could support my work financially. Below, you can upgrade to a paid subscription. It’s just $5/month or $40/year. Most of all, thank you for being here.