Bernie Sanders crashes Schumer news conference, criticizes Democratic Party leadership

Vermont senator criticizes Democrats for not supporting Zohran Mamdani in New York and Graham Platner in Maine

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., took over Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s post-election news conference Wednesday, knocking the Democratic Party for their lack of support in political races in New York and Maine.

“Well, the party leadership did not support [mayoral candidate Zohran] Mamdani in New York,” Sanders said in front of the Senate podium. “Party leadership is not supporting [Senate hopeful Graham] Platner in Maine. And I think he’s going to win… I think there is a growing understanding that leadership, and defending the status quo and the inequalities that exist in America, is not where the American people are.”

Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, won the mayoral race in New York City and Democrat Mikie Sherrill secured the New Jersey governorship.

California’s Proposition 50 was also passed after being placed on the ballot, and Democrats will maintain control of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court as Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht won their respective retention races.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025.  (Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Prior to Sanders’ outburst, Schumer, D-N.Y., spoke with reporters, bashing Republicans as the government shutdown stretches into its 36th day, making it the longest shutdown in U.S. history.

“Last night, Republicans felt the political repercussions [of the Trump administration’s policies],” Schumer said. “It should serve as nothing short of a five-alarm fire to the Republicans. Their high-cost house is burning, and they’ve only got themselves to blame. As loudly and clearly as could possibly be done, from one end of the country to the other, the American people said enough is enough.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks to reporters during a news conference on Nov. 5, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. (Tom Brenner/Getty Images)

Schumer said he and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries demanded Wednesday morning President Donald Trump sit down with them to discuss healthcare issues.

“Last night was a really good night for Democrats and our fight to lower costs, improve health care and reach a better future for our country,” Schumer said. “But more importantly than that, last night was a great night for American families that are struggling now to make ends meet, because the election showed that Democrats’ control of the Senate is much closer than the people and the prognosticators realize. The more Republicans double down on raising costs and bowing down to Trump, the more their Senate majority is at risk.

“… When Leader Jeffries and I met with Donald Trump in the White House a month or so back, we told him this was going to happen. We warned him that if he didn’t do something, working with us to address the health care needs of America, and instead insisting on no negotiation with Democrats, that was a recipe for disaster for the country, and it would come back to haunt them. Last night should make it clear to Republicans that they simply cannot continue to ignore not only us, but the American people, for the good of the whole country.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks to reporters on the House steps on day 16 of the government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. (J. Scott Applewhite)

Democratic leaders have been urging Republicans in both the House and Senate to confront the surge in health insurance premiums tied to the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies.

At the same time, funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has lapsed.

Though several stopgap measures have been proposed by Republicans, including a GOP-led bill blocked Tuesday, Congress has yet to reach an agreement.