WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Chief John Thune (R-SD) instructed The Publish Wednesday that long-serving Democratic Get together figures are in “big trouble” if Zohran Mamdani wins the New York Metropolis mayoral race in November — with even Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer dealing with a potential major problem from “Squad” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
In an unique interview on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Thune weighed in on the stakes of the off-year NYC vote and warned that Dems have “moved so far left to where the American people are, at least most places.”
“Now, maybe he wins in New York City,” Thune, 64, added of Mamdani, 33, “but if he becomes the face of the Democrat Party nationally they’re in big trouble.”
The South Dakotan added that the chance of the far-left Empire State legislator triumphing over the likes of incumbent Democratic Mayor Eric Adams and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo was “scary,” including “I feel for the people of New York City.”
Thune turned the newest high-ranking Republican to opine Wednesday on the prospect of Mamdani taking up Gracie Mansion, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dubbing the socialist’s platform — which notoriously contains plans for government-run grocery shops — as turning the Massive Apple into “Caracas on the Hudson.”
Mamdani has but to nab endorsements from both Schumer or Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), as each grapple with a rise up from their activist-and-donor base that has elevated AOC to one of many prime fundraisers in Congress.
“I think he’s under a lot of pressure — it’s not just her,” Thune stated of Schumer, his counterpart within the Senate. “I’ve called it the tail wagging the dog in his caucus.”
“The far left in the Democrat caucus right now is where the energy, the money, the volunteers, the activists — it’s all in that,” he added.
Rumors of a major problem from Schumer’s left gained steam in March, when the Democratic chief caught flak — together with from Home Speaker emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-NY) — for becoming a member of with Republicans to go a stopgap invoice averting a authorities shutdown.
“He wisely took the move to keep the government open, but of course, he got lit up for it by his political base, which is the challenge he has,” Thune stated of a possible 2028 major. “And whether it’s AOC or somebody else, you know, it’s just this is the politics of the moment on the Democrat side of the aisle.”
Extra just lately, Schumer has gone together with Democrats of their combat in opposition to the Senate confirming President Trump’s political appointees.
None of Trump’s picks have been authorised by voice vote — regardless of each administration since former President Invoice Clinton’s having gotten a majority of nominees by.
“As recently as Bill Clinton, 98% of all the noms considered were handled either by voice [vote] or UC [unanimous consent] and and it’s just deteriorated over time to where Trump’s, you know, we’re at zero here,” Thune remarked. “It’s got to be fixed.”
The Senate is scheduled to interrupt for its month-long August recess on the finish of this week, however President Trump has implored the bulk chief to maintain senators on the town to verify further nominees.
Thune has been lobbying the White Home and others to strike offers over a handful of Democratic slots for positions within the Federal Commerce Fee and Federal Communications Fee — and supply enter for some ambassadorships — to interrupt the logjam.
The “trade bait” Republicans have held out hasn’t budged Schumer, he famous, or gotten different Democrats to make any handshake agreements for the nominations course of.
“Schumer, he’s got folks over there who keep approaching members on our side about wanting to make a deal on noms,” Thune stated, “but he’s not having it.”
“If they would nominate some folks to those slots,” he added, “we’d have more actually to trade with, but, that notwithstanding … it’s without precedent and it’s not sustainable, so this is gonna have to be fixed and right now there’s just a conversation going on with our colleagues about the best way to do it.”
One subject that received’t come up earlier than the Senate is further gun management laws after mass shooter Shane Tamura gunned down 4 individuals in a Midtown workplace constructing — together with an off-duty NYPD officer working safety — earlier than taking his personal life Monday night.
Thune added that the tragedy has generated “a lot of conversations” in Congress after Republicans beforehand rejected frantic requires stricter nationwide gun legal guidelines.
“I don’t think making, you know, decisions in the heat of the moment, when something like that happens leads to the best outcome or the best policy,” he added.
Reps for Mamdani’s marketing campaign didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
