Senators leave town without deal on nominees after Trump tells Schumer to 'go to hell'

President Trump thanked Republican senators for staying in session longer than originally planned to confirm more of his nominees and told the chamber’s top Democrat to “go to hell” for what he described as an “egregious” demand.

Senators, along with House members, typically recess for the month of August but Trump had called on Senate GOP leaders to continue to vote to confirm more nominees. 

Schumer reportedly asked the White House to unfreeze about $1 billion of foreign aid and National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding in exchange for allowing the confirmation process for additional Trump nominees to move faster. 

“Senator Cryin’ Chuck Schumer is demanding over One Billion Dollars in order to approve a small number of our highly qualified nominees, who should right now be helping to run our Country. This demand is egregious and unprecedented, and would be embarrassing to the Republican Party if it were accepted,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday night. 

“It is political extortion, by any other name. Tell Schumer, who is under tremendous political pressure from within his own party, the Radical Left Lunatics, to GO TO HELL! Do not accept the offer, go home and explain to your constituents what bad people the Democrats are, and what a great job the Republicans are doing, and have done, for our Country. Have a great RECESS and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!” he added.

The Senate confirmed additional nominees on Friday and Saturday. 

The chamber adjourned late Saturday without a deal between Senate Republicans, Democrats and the White House on nominees.

Schumer said Trump threw in the towel instead of continuing to negotiate a deal on nominees.

"Trump's all-cap tweet says it all. In a fit of rage, Trump threw in the towel, sent Republicans home, and was unable to do the basic work of negotiating. Is this the 'Art of the deal?' Posture, cajole, stamp your feet, and then give up?" Schumer said at a news conference on Saturday evening. "This says it all. Donald Trump tried to bully us, go around us, threaten us, call us names—but he got nothing, and he walked away with his tail between his legs."

Schumer said Trump "attempted to steamroll the Senate to put in place his historically unqualified nominees, but Senate Democrats wouldn't let him."

He said that Democrats have been "working all week to try and find a reasonable path to allow bipartisan Senate consideration, provided the White House and Senate Republicans met our demands."

Schumer declined to share the details of what he offered Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and the White House. He was asked to confirm that his offer included unfreezing aid to respond to the situation in Gaza. 

"Look, I'm not going to get into the details. Obviously, we'd all like to help Gaza, but the bottom line is we were getting close on a whole lot of issues and Donald Trump just pulled the rug out from under people. And even before that, when it looked like we were getting close a day before, he again called in and screwed it all up," he said. "They should stop listening to him. If they want to do what's good for the American people, they shouldn't be in blind obeisance to Donald Trump."

Schumer called on Trump to work with Senate Democrats.

"Sooner or later, Donald Trump—Mr. "Art of the Deal," or so he claims—is going to have to learn that he has to work with Democrats if he wants to get deals, good deals, that help the American people," he said. "Going at it alone will be a failed strategy. It's the wrong choice for Republicans. It's the wrong choice for the American people."