Schumer Delays Book Tour Over Security Issues

March 18, 2025 TruthUSA

WASHINGTON—Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has delayed a promotional tour for his book on anti-Semitism due to security concerns.

The Democratic leader faces backlash from party activists over his support of a Republican funding bill aimed at preventing a government shutdown last week.

Events scheduled in Baltimore and Washington are being rearranged because of “security issues,” according to the public relations firm Risa Heller, which is representing Schumer, as reported by The Associated Press.

Protests were organized in response to the tour, including one in Baltimore led by the pro-Palestinian group Jewish Voice for Peace.

Another protest, organized by the climate activist group Sunrise Movement, was sparked by Schumer’s backing of the government funding bill.

“Chuck Schumer is afraid to face the people he betrayed last week. Another act of cowardice. We need new leadership,” the group posted on the social media platform X on March 17.

“Schumer may have avoided our protests by canceling his tour, but he can’t stop us from raising our voices,” it remarked in a separate post.

The funding bill, a continuing resolution passed by the Senate on March 14, will fund the government until September 30. While Schumer did not vote for the bill, he received criticism from fellow Democrats for enabling the House GOP measure to surpass the 60-vote filibuster requirement in the Senate that typically applies to most bills.

“I will vote to keep the government open and not shut it down,” Schumer stated in a March 13 Senate floor speech.

If a government shutdown occurs, Schumer expressed concern that “communities that rely on government services will suffer tremendously.”

“As undesirable as a [continuing resolution] may be, allowing Donald Trump even more power via a government shutdown is a far worse choice,” he noted.

The legislation raised defense spending by approximately $6 billion while reducing non-defense spending by about $13 billion.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) criticized Schumer’s actions, calling them “a significant slap in the face” and reflecting “a widespread sense of betrayal.”

Although not naming Schumer directly, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) remarked in a statement that “America has previously endured a Trump shutdown—but this harmful legislation only exacerbates the situation.”

During a March 14 news conference, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) refrained from addressing whether he had faith in his Senate counterpart. When asked if it was time for new Senate leadership, Jeffries simply replied: “Next question.”

On March 17, Jeffries acknowledged that while he and Schumer disagreed on the handling of the Republican spending bill, they were aligned on many other issues.

“Chuck and I concur on the vast majority of issues moving forward, including our efforts to counter the largest proposed Medicaid cuts in American history. We all need to come together,” Jeffries stated in an MSNBC interview.

Schumer’s book, titled “Antisemitism in America: A Warning,” is described as taking readers on a personal journey of how Jewish Americans, including himself, have come to grasp their history, their place in America, and their concerns for the future of Jewish life in the U.S.

As the first Jewish majority leader of the U.S. Senate, Schumer has positioned himself as “the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in American history.” He has been serving in Congress since 1981 and has been a senator since 1999.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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