President Trump torpedoed last-minute Senate negotiations over his stalled nominees on Saturday night, telling Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer to “GO TO HELL” after talks to advance dozens of confirmations broke down ahead of the August recess.
According to Republicans, a tentative framework to move a large tranche of nominees unraveled when Democrats insisted on restoring billions in sidelined funding— including foreign aid and National Institutes of Health money— as part of any deal. Trump denounced the demand as “political extortion” and urged Republicans to walk away rather than accept concessions.
With time expiring before adjournment, the chamber approved only a handful of nominees and left the bulk unconfirmed until September. Among those cleared was Jeanine Pirro to serve as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.
Schumer called the outcome a victory for Democrats, saying the president “quit the talks” instead of compromising. Senate Majority Leader John Thune countered that Democrats never intended to strike a deal despite multiple offers and that Republicans may revisit procedural changes to speed up confirmations when the Senate returns.
The standoff leaves scores of administration posts unfilled as lawmakers depart for the month-long recess, setting up another high-stakes clash over confirmations when Congress reconvenes.