Hours of tense negotiations over President Donald Trump’s nominees collapsed late Saturday, sending senators home without a broad agreement. Each party blamed the other, but Trump ultimately ended the talks, accusing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of demanding over a billion dollars in exchange for approving a limited number of nominees. In a fiery Truth Social post, Trump called the request “political extortion” and urged Republicans to reject any deal and explain to voters that Democrats were acting in bad faith. As a result, instead of advancing up to 60 nominees who had bipartisan committee support, senators confirmed only seven before leaving Washington until September.
Schumer, however, framed Trump’s intervention as a win for Democrats, arguing that he and Senate Majority Leader John Thune had been working toward a bipartisan solution until Trump abruptly “took his ball and went home.” Despite the president’s accusations, negotiators from both parties believed they had been close to a workable agreement. Democrats sought the release of frozen NIH and foreign aid funds and assurances against future clawbacks in exchange for confirming several uncontroversial nominees. Republicans, meanwhile, accused Schumer of continually raising his demands, with Sen. Markwayne Mullin insisting Democrats never intended to finalize a deal.
With negotiations derailed, Republicans ruled out pursuing recess appointments for now, though they signaled potential rule changes to the confirmation process when Congress reconvenes in September.