Schumer Challenges Trump as Senate Delays Nominee Confirmations

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) publicly ridiculed President Donald Trump after the latter delayed the confirmation of most remaining presidential nominees for at least another month. Over the weekend, senators stayed in Washington, D.C., as Republicans aimed to finalize the approval of Trump's civilian appointments. Democrats attempted to slow down the process, with Schumer proposing that funding be withheld from the White House to expedite the nominations. Trump dismissed this tactic as "political extortion" and indicated it was a nonstarter. Consequently, senators left for their August recess without reaching an agreement, confirming only a handful of nominees. In a show of defiance, Schumer reposted Trump’s social media message criticizing his delaying tactics, captioning it "The Art of the Deal," a nod to the president's 1987 book. He also justified his opposition by claiming that the nominees were "historically unqualified." Schumer stated, "Donald Trump tried to push through unqualified nominees, but Senate Democrats prevented him." Republican senators responded by asserting that most nominees were noncontroversial and accused Democrats of political gamesmanshi...