On Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., debated his Republican challenger: the former Newsmax commentator Joseph Pinion.
Schumer took a hit over his role in national issues… and faced some personal barbs from Pinion.
Pinion said, “Chuck Schumer has spent 42 years making promises about what he will do tomorrow… It’s always a day away. And you never trust a man who promises to do tomorrow what he had power to do yesterday.”
The senator hit back by slamming Pinion’s lack of name recognition in New York. He said, “Hi, Joe! Very nice to meet you!”
Schumer, 71, has served in Congress since 1981, with 18 years in the House and almost 24 years in the Senate. He’s running as the highest-ranking senator, a four-term incumbent, and a Democrat from a dark blue constituency.
In other words, Schumer likely occupies the safest seat of any Senate Democrat up for re-election this year.
Schumer claims to visit all 62 counties in New York state every year, but he faced criticism Sunday for becoming entrenched in Washington, D.C.
“He is a failed senator,” Pinion said, according to a recap by New York Daily News. “He has failed the people of this state.”
Schumer spent hardly any time on New York issues. The two candidates talked primarily about on national issues like abortion, inflation, and illegal immigration.
“Under my leadership, the Senate has had the most productive session in three decades,” Schumer claimed, referring to the so-called Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan CHIPS Act.
Pinion took the opportunity to slam the bespectacled Schumer for his poor eyesight, both literal and figurative.
“Like that blind biblical giant,” Pinion said, referring to the David and Goliath story, “Sen. Schumer has a difficult time seeing what is clearly in front of all of our faces.”
Schumer concluded by insulting Pinion’s history as a conservative pundit.
“He was a pundit. We’re hearing a lot of punditry, a lot of pointing fingers, a lot of verbiage — but no real solutions,” Schumer claimed. “I am productive… I’m not spewing verbiage and calling names.”
Despite an embarrassing debate, Schumer will likely cruise to re-election.
However, the Democrats may lose their majority in the Senate. In that case, Schumer would forfeit his position as Senate majority leader, and Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., would likely replace him.
Pinion, a former cable television personality, likely pulls an audience from across the nation, beyond just New York.
Take a look at these clips —
Pinion calls out Schumer:
"He throws around the MAGA this and MAGA that even though he's the one who spent millions of dollars trying to elect MAGA people as nominees across this country…it's because he thinks he's got a fair fight with MAGA and he can win. It's about power." pic.twitter.com/aT6esJvABb
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) October 31, 2022
https://twitter.com/Sultan4Oz/status/1586875660194271232
Chuck Schumer's GOP opponent absolutely REKS him over wide-open border— BRUTAL! pic.twitter.com/AQAbFfyqfk
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 31, 2022
The Horn editorial team