Chuck Schumer used the threat of two more Trump-appointed Supreme Court justices to bait top Democrats into running for Senate in 2026, the party leader told Axios in an exclusive interview.
Why it matters: Schumer, 75, is up for re-election in 2028 and his longevity as party leader is at stake. But the New York Democrat got his handpicked candidate in all four states where he'll need to flip GOP-held seats.
"North Carolina, Maine, Ohio and Alaska ... those four, we're going to win," Schumer told Axios in an interview Tuesday at Senate Democrats' campaign headquarters in D.C.
- Schumer and Democrats will need to flip at least four GOP-held seats to reclaim a majority.
- They'll also need to protect Sen. Jon Ossoff (D) in Georgia — where Schumer predicted his party will win — and prevent Republicans from flipping an open seat in Michigan, where the primary has turned ugly.
The big picture: Schumer's key recruiting victories include former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Maine Gov. Janet Mills, former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and former Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska).
- "If we lose the Senate by one seat, and Trump puts two 40-year-olds on the Supreme Court ... you won't be happy," Schumer told Axios about his pitch to those candidates. "It was patriotism that motivated these people."
- Trump would need just a majority of votes in the Senate to confirm a Supreme Court justice. A Democratic majority would act as a check to that.
The other side: "Democrats' battleground map is littered with failed career politicians no longer aligned with the values of their states and messy, nasty primaries that will leave Schumer with a majority of candidates that have all pledged to vote him out," Joanna Rodriguez, communications director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said in a statement.
On possible impeachment, Schumer said: "Let's beat Trump ... then we can talk about other things."
- Democrats are already gaming out impeachments of multiple top Trump officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, after an ICE agent fatally shot a 37-year-old woman last week in Minneapolis.
- Schumer said Trump would "have no choice" but to work with Democrats if they're in the majority. He pointed to their ability to pass pandemic relief legislation toward the end of Trump's first term.
Between the lines: Schumer is facing a primary headache in Maine, where progressive Graham Platner is challenging Mills for the Democratic nomination.
- Asked if he'd back Platner if Mills lost, Schumer said: "I'm not getting into specifics here, but we're going to do what it takes to win in every state."
- "Our North Star is winning back the Senate, and we have different approaches in different states," Schumer said.
Zoom out: As anti-ICE fury burns through the Democratic party, which echoes the "abolish ICE" movement of the first Trump term, Schumer said: "ICE is a menace and is disrupting life in the cities."
- "A candidate has to do what they're comfortable with in their own states," Schumer said. "And different candidates have different things."
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
