Mary Trump, the estranged niece and a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, shifted her criticism to Democrats in the Senate in an “emergency” blog post Friday, warning that “the precipice is here” over Democratic support for the GOP-led continuing resolution (CR).
Why It Matters
Mary Trump has been outspoken against her uncle for years, and in 2020, published Too Much and Never Enough, a tell-all book about Trump and their family. In it, she says he is “utterly incapable of leading this country and it’s dangerous to allow him to do so.”
However, Mary Trump has also become increasingly critical of Democrats following last year’s election.
Senate Democrats faced intense pressure from their House counterparts and the party’s progressive wing to oppose the House GOP’s stopgap bill, which would fund the government through September 30. The government faced an imminent shutdown if Congress did not pass a funding bill.
A handful of senators within the Democratic Party ultimately joined forces with Republicans and approved the measure.
What To Know
Ahead of Friday’s vote, Mary Trump took issue with Democrats who had yet to take a public stance on the CR, condemning them for considering support of the measure.
In her post titled “Break Glass: THIS Is the Emergency,” she warned of a looming crisis, declaring that “the precipice is here” as some Democrats signaled they might support the CR.
She called their “level of appeasement” to their Republican counterparts “dangerous beyond my ability to convey,” labeling it as “abject and sickening cowardice.”
She urged her readers to call, write, and protest their Democrat senators who are not voting against the matter, noting that her Senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York “have been leading the charge to abandon their base, their party, and their country. I am ashamed.”
On Friday evening, the Senate passed the continuing resolution by a 54-46 vote. Nine Democrats and one independent voted to advance the CR. Republicans hold a majority in both chambers.
Senate Minority Leader Schumer voted in support of the bill, arguing that averting a government shutdown was the more responsible action. He had opposed the bill until the day before the vote.
Schumer’s reversal drew harsh blowback from some of the leading voices in the Democratic Party, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, California Representative and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi and New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Newsweek has reached out to Schumer’s press team for comment via email on Saturday.
Every House Democrat, except one, had voted against the Republican stopgap measure ahead of the Senate vote.
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
What People Are Saying
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told CNN following the vote: “We always knew there would be disagreements, but I felt, and those who voted with me felt, that as bad as the CR was—and I know a lot of members didn’t like the CR—a government shutdown would be far worse.
“A government shutdown gives Donald Trump, Elon Musk and DOGE almost complete power as to what to close down, because they can decide what is an essential service. If they determine that SNAP kids shouldn’t get food is not essential, they can just cut it out summarily, they could fire half the workers in the federal government, it would have been a far worse consequence.”
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social Friday ahead of the vote: “Congratulations to Chuck Schumer for doing the right thing — Took ‘guts’ and courage! The big Tax Cuts, L.A. fire fix, Debt Ceiling Bill, and so much more, is coming. We should all work together on that very dangerous situation. A non pass would be a Country destroyer, approval will lead us to new heights. Again, really good and smart move by Senator Schumer. This could lead to something big for the USA, a whole new direction and beginning!”
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday: “House Democrats will always fight back for a better way against Republican false choices. As Republicans turn their attention to their next scheme that funds tax breaks for billionaires by cutting Medicaid, House Democrats will do everything in our power to stop them.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on X on Wednesday: “Every House Democrat but one voted to shut down the government yesterday. Chuck Schumer needs to decide: will Senate Democrats keep the government funded or will they join House Democrats and shut it down?”
What Happens Next?
The measure will be sent to President Trump for his signature.
