Even Republican voters feared MAGA, says Schumer: Senate top Democrat says the “red mirage” was caused by Americans who feared the GOP would “ruin democracy,” and urges the party to reject its extreme wing
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the Democrats won the Senate because even the Republicans distanced themselves from the “MAGA” movement
- He said, “Average Americans … even those who are more Republican-like said, ‘I’m scared of this MAGA — they’re trying to ruin our democracy.’
- The result was, as the New York Democrat put it, “the red wave turned out to be a red mirage.”
- On Saturday night, the major networks called the Senate for Democrats after Nevada’s Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto clinched a victory
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday that Democrats retained control of the Senate because even Republicans distanced themselves from former President Donald Trump’s “MAGA” movement.
“And one, if not the main reason, but certainly one of the main reasons, was that average Americans, even those in the middle, even those who tended to be Republicans, said, ‘I’m scared of this MAGA — they “Trying to ruin our democracy,” Schumer said CNN this morning.
The result was, as the New York Democrat put it, “the red wave turned out to be a red mirage.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday that Democrats retained control of the Senate because even Republicans distanced themselves from former President Donald Trump’s “MAGA” movement
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (right) appeared on CNN’s This Morning Monday with presenters (from left) Poppy Harlow, Don Lemon and Kaitlan Collins, and also appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe
On Saturday night, the major networks called the Senate for Democrats after Nevada’s Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto clinched a victory over Republican Adam Laxalt.
Democrats had already flipped a Senate seat, with Lt. Gov. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz slammed to replace retired GOP Senator Pat Toomey.
The parties have another opportunity in Georgia, where the race between incumbent Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker enters a runoff in early December.
Schumer expressed confidence that he could work with Republicans once the new session begins in January.
“It’s different this time because they lost,” he told the trio of CNN hosts.
“They all expected to win,” Schumer continued.
The longtime New York lawmaker pointed out that some of the most MAGA-aligned GOP candidates were those who lost their races.
“So if you’re a good Republican Party leader, say that continuing to follow them is a road to disaster,” Schumer asserted.
In the morning, Schumer said he plans to reach across the aisle.
“I’m going to reach out to the non-MAGA Republicans in the Senate and tell them, work with us, we can get some things done for the American people,” he said.
Trump-backed Senate candidates who lost included Arizona’s Oz, Laxalt and Blake Masters.
Walker’s future is still up in the air.
Trump has been successful in Ohio and North Carolina, supporting both author JD Vance and Rep. Ted Budd in their respective primaries as they now become Republican senators.
Over on Morning Joe, Schumer argued that “voters have always cared about abortion,” and suggested that Cortez Masto was successful in Nevada because she kept that issue at the forefront.
“It also symbolized to people how extreme the other party had become,” Schumer said. “And that had implications even beyond the issue of abortion.”
Schumer also boasted, “We had great candidates, they had flawed candidates.”
“As I mentioned earlier, the American people began to get really concerned that this MAGA group controlled the Republican Party and that our democracy was in jeopardy,” he said, making a point similar to that on CNN.
But he also argued that Democrats are succeeding because they talk about “things that people care about.”
“Reducing the cost of prescription drugs, finally dealing with the climate, student debt. Young people voted more than they thought because of these issues,” Schumer said.