Senator John Kennedy is once again cutting through Washington’s theatrics with brutal honesty.
The Louisiana Republican accused Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of staging political drama instead of doing his job to reopen the government.
In an interview with Fox Business host Larry Kudlow, Kennedy described the shutdown as a “political performance,” not a genuine policy disagreement.
He said Schumer is more concerned with keeping up appearances for his party’s radical wing than with serving the American people.
“It will end eventually,” Kennedy said, “when Senator Schumer goes to six or eight of his members and Democrats and says, ‘Do me a favor. Vote to open it back up. I may have to criticize you. I’m not going to vote with you, but I need a way out of this.’”
Kennedy made clear that Schumer’s priority isn’t compromise — it’s saving face.
“He’s gonna tell ‘em, ‘Now, look, I gotta vote no. And I gotta dogcuss you a little bit. We gotta have some play acting and make this look good. And then we come out of the shutdown,’” Kennedy said, describing how Schumer will secretly orchestrate the outcome he publicly opposes.
According to Kennedy, the government shutdown is less about real disagreements and more about political optics. Schumer, he said, is acting out a script to appease the far-left members of his caucus — what Kennedy calls the “moon wing” of the Democratic Party.
“I know him. Well, this shutdown is not about policy. It’s about politics,” Kennedy said.
“And Senator Schumer, this is what’s going on. He is trying to get the moon wing, the socialist wing of the Democratic Party, which is in control, to love him. And they will never love him.”
That blunt assessment paints a damning picture of the Democratic leadership. Schumer, Kennedy argues, is beholden to extremists who refuse to compromise, even at the expense of the country.
The Louisiana senator said Schumer’s strategy is simple: keep the government closed until Republicans and President Trump agree to hand over billions in new spending — spending that Democrats will control. “What he’s saying,” Kennedy explained, “is we’re going to keep government shut down until you Republicans and President Trump give the Democrats $1.5 trillion, and they’re going to tell us how to spend it.”
Kennedy ridiculed the idea that Schumer is fighting for “the people.” In his view, Schumer is fighting for power, money, and media attention — and the shutdown is just another stage for him to perform on.
“He’s boning if it looks contrived,” Kennedy warned. “He can’t look like he’s having a mutiny.” That’s why, Kennedy says, Schumer must choreograph his next steps carefully, pretending to fight while quietly coordinating votes behind the scenes.
Kennedy’s description of this “play acting” matches what many Americans have long suspected: that the partisan battles on the Senate floor are largely theater designed to manipulate the public.
Schumer, Kennedy said, is obsessed with being seen as strong by the socialist faction of his party — even though that same faction will never accept him. “He’d be better off doing what he did back in March and just calling it like he saw it and keeping government open,” Kennedy added.
The senator’s comments came after Schumer led most Democrats in voting down the Republicans’ spending bill earlier in the week, prolonging the shutdown. Kennedy said that move was pure political posturing.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has formally requested clarification from the Department of Justice after learning that she may be under review for her recent efforts to educate the public on their legal rights in immigration-related situations.
The New York representative sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi asking whether the DOJ is pursuing an investigation tied to a webinar she hosted earlier this year. The event, titled
The event included attorneys from the Immigrant Defense Project and focused on outlining constitutional protections for those approached by immigration officers. Alongside the webinar, printed materials were also distributed by her office that aimed to explain legal rights and options in simple terms.
Following the event, former federal immigration official Tom Homan expressed concern that the information presented may have been used to help individuals avoid detention, and publicly stated he referred Ocasio-Cortez to the Justice Department for potential review.
In her letter to the DOJ, Ocasio-Cortez wrote: “Educating the public about their rights is a central part of what elected officials are supposed to do—particularly during times of uncertainty or heightened enforcement activity.”
She also requested a formal update from the Department on whether any investigation has been launched or if her office is under review for its public outreach efforts.
The situation has sparked wider debate over the balance between public education and law enforcement, particularly when it comes to immigration. While supporters of the event say it was intended to ensure individuals understand their legal protections, others have raised concerns about the potential consequences of such outreach.
Officials from the Department of Justice have not yet issued a public response to the inquiry.