Kim sidesteps question on Schumer leadership future

Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) on Sunday did not directly endorse Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) leadership, but noted that the congressional caucus is “united” amid negotiations on funding the Department of Homeland Security.

When host Jake Tapper asked Kim on CNN’s “State of the Union” whether he wanted Schumer to remain in his role, the New Jersey Democrat replied, “Well, look, I am confident that Democrats are strongest when we are united.”

“And, right now, we are united,” he added. “This is the most united I have ever seen the Senate Democrats and certainly Democrats in Congress across both chambers.”

“What we see right now so clearly is now the Republicans are the ones that are fighting amongst themselves,” the New Jersey Democrat continued. “This is the most divided I have seen the Republicans.”

Tapper then pressed Kim on whether he supports Schumer staying on as leader, to which the first-term senator said, “I have been supportive of our leadership right now. I have been supportive of what we have been doing and having this united front against this lawlessness of the Trump administration.”

“And I think that that’s really what the American people are seeing is, what we get when the Democrats are united and the Republicans are constantly fighting themselves,” Kim concluded.

Schumer, 75, has led the Senate Democratic Caucus since 2016, when he replaced longtime party leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who died in 2021.

But in recent years, the New York Democrat has faced calls to give up power from various corners of the party, including from progressive groups, House Democrats and even Democrats running for Senate. Criticism of Schumer particularly ramped up after eight Democrats, a group he was not part of, joined Republicans in voting to end the record-long government shutdown in November.

Illinois Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton (D), the Democratic nominee in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), told liberal YouTuber Jack Cocchiarella earlier this month that she does not support Schumer serving as Senate Democratic leader for another Congress.

While a poll conducted by Morning Consult earlier this month found that Schumer was the most well-known congressional leader, he was also viewed more negatively than Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). 

More than four in 10 respondents to that survey view Schumer unfavorably, while just 28 percent view him favorably. A quarter of respondents viewed Thune unfavorably, while 34 percent and 30 percent view Johnson and Jeffries as such, respectively.

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