Trump administration updates: Schumer continues to face calls for new leadership

The Senate minority leader says he's not going anywhere.

Last Updated: March 23, 2025, 9:39 PM EDT

Sen. Chuck Schumer said Sunday he has no plans to step aside as Senate minority leader as criticism of Schumer and of Democrats' ineffectiveness in combatting President Donald Trump's agenda continues.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration sent another group of migrants to Guantanamo Bay, alleging many are members of the Venezuelan gang Tren De Aragua, an official with knowledge of the flight told ABC News. But deportation flights of Venezuelans to El Salvador remain on hold while the administration fights a judge's order to curtail those flights while their legality is decided.

Trump on Friday announced a new F-47 fighter jet with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and signed a series of presidential actions before departing the White House for his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. The actions included one rescinding the security clearances of several former Biden officials and political opponents.

Mar 23, 2025, 4:12 PM EDT

Schumer says he’s not stepping down amid calls for new leadership

Amid calls for him to step down as Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Chuck Schumer said he would not and defended his decision to support the continuing resolution to fund the government.

“The CR was certainly bad, you know, the continuing resolution. But a shutdown would be 15 or 20 times worse,” Schumer told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. “Under a shutdown, the Executive Branch has sole power to determine what is, quote, "essential." And they can determine without any court supervision. The courts have ruled it's solely up to the executive what to shut down. With Musk, and DOGE, and Trump, and this guy [Office of Management and Budget Director Russell] Vought, as the head of OMB, they would eviscerate the federal government.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer leaves the Democratic caucus lunch at the U.S. Capitol, Mar. 13, 2025 in Washington.
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

In an interview with co-anchor Jonathan Karl on ABC News’ “This Week,” independent Sen. Bernie Sanders said he’s been disappointed with Democrats’ response to Trump’s second term. But he said the issue goes beyond Schumer.

“There's been nobody more critical of Chuck Schumer than I have been, and not just on this thing. But the bottom line is not just Chuck Schumer, it's not just Chuck Schumer. It is, you got a Democratic Party in general that is dominated by billionaires, just as the Republican Party is that is operates under the leadership of a bunch of inside developments, very well paid, who are way out of touch with the 32,000 people who are here today,” he said from Denver at a stop on his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour on Saturday.

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna would not say if he would encourage Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to challenge Schumer for reelection in three years, but said there are others in the party who have to encourage her to do so.

“Well, that's really her decision. I will say that there were a lot of people at the Democratic retreat who had encouraged her,” Khanna said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “But here's what I will say: the American people are fed up with the old guard. There needs to be a renewal. You know, in Silicon Valley, when a company isn't doing well, you don't keep the same team, and I think there's going to be a new generation in this country. They want to see a more compelling economic message.”

-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie

Mar 23, 2025, 2:09 PM EDT

GOP Sen. Curtis: Impeachment of Boasberg ‘not going to happen’

Republican Sen. John Curtis said impeachment of federal Judge James Boasberg, who blocked Trump’s deporation flights to El Salvador, most likely won’t happen.

“And you know, you can talk impeachment and you can throw it out there. That's what you could do. But the reality of it is, it takes two-thirds of the Senate to impeach. We know that's not going to happen,” Curtis told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.

Sen.-elect John Curtis, R-Utah, on “This Week.”
ABC News

Asked if he believes the discussion of impeaching a federal judge is appropriate, Curtis said, “If it were me, I probably wouldn't be poking the people that are going to make decisions about me, but that's me, and the president is going to do what the president does.”

-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie

Mar 23, 2025, 12:11 PM EDT

Usha Vance to visit Greenland

Second lady Usha Vance will visit Greenland with a U.S. delegation on Thursday.

The visit will include historical sites, learning about Greenlandic heritage and attending the Avannaata Qimussersu, Greenland’s national dogsled race.

Vice President JD Vance joined by his wife Usha Vance, speaks at Vantage Plastics in Bay City, Michigan, Mar. 14, 2025.
Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images

Vance's visit comes as Trump has spoken a number of times about purchasing Greenland.

-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie

Mar 22, 2025, 4:08 PM EDT

White House backtracks on Trump statement that he didn't sign Alien Enemies Act order

Less than 24 hours after Trump told reporters, "I don't know when it was signed because I didn't sign it," referring to his executive order invoking the Alien Enemies Act, the White House put out a statement clarifying his remarks.

The executive order had Trump's signature at the bottom of the page, which the White House confirmed.

President Donald Trump delivers remarks in the Oval Office at the White House, in Washington, Mar. 21, 2025.
Carlos Barria/Reuters

"President Trump was obviously referring to the original Alien Enemies Act that was signed back in 1798," White House spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement.

-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh

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