Exclusive: Dem Leaders Schumer and Jeffries Give URGENT Gov Shutdown Update to Meidas

Watch my new interviews with Senator Schumer and Representative Jeffries

I just wrapped back-to-back interviews with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer as the government shutdown enters yet another week, a shutdown sparked when Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans refused to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits that help millions of Americans afford health insurance. When issues of this magnitude are impacting people’s lives, our mission at the MeidasTouch Network is to speak directly with those leading the fight to protect them. You can find both interviews below.

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Both leaders I spoke with made it clear that Democrats are fighting to protect Americans’ health care, while Republicans are running from accountability—refusing even to negotiate. This government shutdown has flipped the script on the dynamics we’ve seen in recent months. Finally, Democrats are showing real fight. Finally, Democrats are out-messaging Trump and the Republicans’ disinformation machine. And hopefully, the result will be that the Affordable Care Act tax credits are extended and Americans are spared the massive spikes in costs that would come from the Republicans’ refusal to budge.

Leader Jeffries didn’t mince words when I asked him about Speaker Mike Johnson’s refusal to meet publicly to discuss reopening the government. Speaker Johnson earlier called the idea of meeting in front of cameras to discuss the shutdown “theatrics.” “It’s not theatrics. It’s what the American people deserve,” Jeffries told me. “Donald Trump and Republicans shut the federal government down because they are unwilling to provide health care to working-class Americans, middle-class Americans, and everyday Americans.”

Jeffries noted that Democrats are at the Capitol, ready to negotiate, while Republicans have literally gone on vacation. “They refuse to meet privately. They don’t want to negotiate. So my view was, let’s have a debate publicly. If Mike Johnson and Republicans feel like they have the high ground, then defend your position publicly, bro. Defend it publicly.”

He also called out the absurdity of Trump’s Oval Office performance earlier that day, where the Trump rambled from topic to topic, and even said he’d talk to his Justice Department about the possibility of pardoning convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. “After being on the golf course on Saturday in the middle of a government shutdown, that’s not presidential leadership. That’s the abdication of responsibility,” Jeffries said.

Jeffries added that Democrats will “continue to press our case as it relates to protecting the health care of the American people, fixing the system Republicans have broken, and lowering the high cost of living in the United States of America.”

Watch my full interview with Leader Hakeem Jeffries here:

Later in the evening, I spoke with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, who echoed Jeffries’ call for transparency and public debate. “Come to the Capitol, sit down in public and debate us on the health care crisis that’s afflicting Americans,” Schumer said, directly addressing Trump, Johnson, and Senate Republican Whip John Thune. “Your obligation — this is the way this democracy works — is to debate this in public. I’m ready any time.”

On Trump and MAGA Mike’s repeated claims that Democrats are shutting down the government to give illegal immigrants healthcare, Schumer fired back: “It’s an f—ing lie, plain and simple. The law says that federal dollars cannot go to illegal immigrants under Medicare, Medicaid, or the ACA. And I said that to [MAGA Mike] in the room. I said, You’re lying. That’s bull. You know what he did? He smirked. He doesn’t want to tell the truth. And a typical Republican trick is to try to divert it to one of these so-called “emotional” issues, even if they’re bullshit. Well, it’s not working for them. The American people don’t believe them.”

Schumer dismissed Johnson’s claim that a public meeting would be “theatrics.” “Typical of MAGA Mike. He’s afraid of the truth. He lies all the time,” Schumer told me. “He knows that people are suffering. He knows rural hospitals are closing. He knows people are being kicked out of nursing homes. Debate in public — that’s not theatrics, that’s democracy.”

When I asked about Trump’s bizarre Oval Office behavior, Schumer confirmed what many suspected: the president was incoherent and disengaged. “He didn’t concentrate on the key issues. He kept diverting to other topics. He didn’t even seem to understand what was going on,” Schumer said. “His mind goes from one subject to another, unrelated. And truth has nothing to do with this discussion.”

Even MAGA Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Schumer noted, accidentally told the truth when she admitted that insurance “has become unaffordable for most Americans.” “It’s one of the first times I’ve ever agreed with Marjorie Taylor Greene,” Schumer said. “Costs are through the roof. Health care costs above all are a very serious issue. But Trump and the Republicans are ignoring it. They’re in their bubble.”

Schumer ended our interview with a warning about the real human stakes of this shutdown: “It’s a matter of life and death. Fifty-one thousand people could die if we don’t fix this health care crisis. Millions will suffer. A mother with a child who has cancer will now find that treatment is cut off and she has to watch her child suffer. It’s horrible. So we are fighting with everything we have.”

Watch my full interview with Leader Chuck Schumer here:

When it comes to this shutdown fight, Democrats have stayed on message and are putting in the work, fighting for affordable health care and for transparency. Meanwhile, Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans have fled the scene, canceling votes and turning off the cameras.

We’ll continue bringing you the latest updates on this shutdown and its impact on everyday Americans. But I also want to take a moment to recognize how vital your voices have been in getting the truth out about what’s at stake. This is a pivotal moment for independent media, and thanks to you, the MeidasTouch Network is leading the way with facts, courage, and clarity.