Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is at a crossroads. I have an idea of the route he should take.

For months, we’ve watched the senator from New York continue to run the Democratic Party into the ground. In a time when the opposition party is tiptoeing toward authoritarianism and rapidly shifting its messaging to appease an increasingly radical base, Democrats need a leader who is quick on their feet and ready to do things differently. Schumer, to this point, has proved that he is incapable of being that.

If the Democratic Party is going to survive President Donald Trump’s second term, it needs someone at the helm who can manage the party’s broad spectrum of politics while sending the message to voters that there are people fighting for them. It's time for the Democratic Party to head in a new direction, and it’s time for Schumer to step away from leadership.

Schumer's lack of spine shows in Mamdani race, shutdown debacle

Schumer had two spectacular failures recently after a series of missteps in 2025. On Nov. 10, he failed to keep moderate Senate Democrats from siding with Republicans in their plot to end the government shutdown without guaranteeing health care subsidies. Earlier in the month, he failed to endorse New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.

I’m not the only one noticing these blunders. Following the Senate’s vote to end the government shutdown, Pew Research Center found that 50% of Americans have an unfavorable view of the New York senator. Thirty-nine percent of Democrats disapprove of Schumer; only 35% have a positive view of him.

According to CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten, this makes Schumer the least popular Democratic Senate leader since 1985.

A growing number of Democrats in the House of Representatives are seeing this information and, like me, are calling for Schumer to resign as a leader.

“Sen. Schumer has failed to meet this moment and is out of touch with the American people,” Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan posted on X. “The Democratic Party needs leaders who fight and deliver for working people. Schumer should step down.”

Aside from politicians, at least two grassroots organizing groups have called on Schumer to resign from leadership. MoveOn is gathering signatures for a petition, and Indivisible is asking Democrats to call their senators demanding that he step down.

The Senate Democratic leader isn’t even faring well with the New York residents he represents. An August poll of registered voters showed Schumer’s popularity among New Yorkers at 38%, with half of the respondents having an unfavorable view of him. It’s the lowest his approval rating has been since the Siena Poll started tracking that data in 2005.

In April, the Marist Poll found that 53% of New Yorkers think that someone else should be leading the Senate Democrats. All of this happened before Schumer’s most recent leadership blunders, meaning his approval rating will very likely continue getting worse.

Americans want new ideas, and Democrats need them

If Schumer takes the hint and steps away, he should be succeeded by someone who is willing to speak with the American people and able to keep all factions of the Democratic Party in line. After all, it’s not like there’s a shortage of potential leaders in the wings – imagine what someone like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, could do with this role.

Schumer, who turns 75 on Nov. 23, could take a step back from leadership without stepping away from elected office altogether. He isn’t up for reelection until 2028, at which point he would be wise to retire. After all, that’s probably easier on the ego than going head-to-head with Bronx Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 36, in a primary election, which polling shows she would win.

At the very least, Schumer should listen to New Yorkers, his fellow Democrats and the American public. Meeting the moment means knowing when to give up power when the time comes. While the decision to step away from leadership is ultimately his to make, he needs to remember that the country is on the line.

Schumer can't undo his many failures, but he has the chance to save what's left of his legacy. I hope he will.

Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter: @sara__pequeno

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chuck Schumer is taking heat for Democrats' shutdown debacle. He deserves it. | Opinion

Reporting by Sara Pequeño, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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