Democrat leaders slam 8 Senate colleagues for voting with GOP on shutdown

A left-wing group is behind the massive “No Kings” protests targeting the president Donald Trump His administration launched its largest initial project: targeting Senate Democrats who have joined with Republicans to reopen the government.

“It’s no longer about them, it’s about us. We’re done waiting for Democrats to find their backbone.” Ezra Levinco-founder and co-CEO of Indivisible, said in a press release on Monday. “We cannot afford to have a weak and cowardly Democratic Party while tyrants invade our cities, terrorize our communities, and threaten our democracy. We got the party we demanded, and we intend to demand a Democratic Party that fights.”

Indivisible is one of the main groups behind the massive “No Kings” protests held across the country earlier in 2025, including on June 14, when Trump held a military parade in Washington, D.C., and more recently on October 18, when demonstrators protested against Trump’s immigration policies and repeated claims that Trump is acting like a king and not a president.

The protests are supported by dozens of leftist and liberal groups, including the Indivisible movement, the 50501 movement, and the No Kings Organization itself, which has been identified as the largest organizers of the protests.

Schumer pushes shutdown to the record books after GOP bill rejected for 14th time

Senator Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) speaks at a news conference with other Senate Democrats who voted to restore government funding, in Washington, November 9, 2025. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Launched in 2017, at the start of Trump’s first term, Indivisible describes itself as a network of local grassroots groups that advocate for elections for left-wing lawmakers, while calling on current lawmakers to resist MAGA policies. The group is partly funded by a left-wing billionaire George Soros The Open Society Foundations, which provided Indivisible with a two-year, $3 million grant in 2023, is working to “support the grantee’s social welfare activities,” Fox News Digital previously reported.

“Chuck Schumer and a critical mass of Senate Democrats have surrendered,” Levin said. “For nearly six weeks, Republicans have held the government hostage while threatening health care, food assistance, and essential services for millions of Americans.”

Levin continued in his comments: “In these six weeks of shutdown, Democrats had their best election night in more than a decade, and opinion polls showed that Republicans are losing this shutdown battle, and their base came out in the largest protest in modern US history with a resounding rejection of Trump and the Republicans.”. “Instead of standing with such energy, Senate Democrats caved — again. That’s why Indivisible is launching our largest primary yet.”

“Our democracy faces an existential threat. We need leaders with courage and conviction — not shame and excuses,” Leah Greenberg, co-founder and co-CEO of Indivisible, said of the initial plan. “Democrats cannot defeat tyranny by running away from a fight. It is up to us to make sure that those who cannot fight make way for leaders who can fight. Indivisible is ready to clean house and build a party that actually has the energy to act as an opposition.”

Demonstrators gather in Washington, D.C., to protest No Kings Day on October 18, 2025. (Fox News Digital/Emma Woodhead)

At the heart of the lockdown was a debate over healthcare. Trump and the Republican Party placed blame for the shutdown on Democrats for working to include health care benefits for illegal immigrants in the package. Democrats denied the allegations and said the government was shut down because Republicans failed to negotiate health care demands.

The House of Representatives voted later Wednesday to reopen the government. The bill then headed to Trump’s desk for his signature to officially end the longest federal shutdown in US history.

A handful of left-wing lawmakers and leaders have criticized Senate Democrats for joining the GOP, like the independent senator. Bernie Sanders He described Sunday as a “very bad night.”

John Fetterman breaks with Democrats on shutdown vote, says it’s an ‘easy choice’ to put America first

A memo from a major liberal grassroots group called out Democratic lawmakers like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for their passive-aggressive approach to resisting President Trump. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

“This is pathetic. This is not a deal. This is a surrender. Don’t kneel!”, the official press office of Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom. X account Posted Sunday evening. Newsom added on his X account: “America deserves better,” and he also wrote another message that just said: “Pathetic.“

“As this vote moves to the House, I stand with Democratic leadership in their refusal to endorse the widespread Republican attack on Americans’ health care, and I am proud of the majority of Democrats in the Senate who opposed this vote,” the Democratic National Committee Chairman said. Ken Martin published in X.

“I’ve said it since the beginning of this shutdown – Republicans are not negotiating in good faith, and any deal that fails to protect health care is no deal at all. For Democrats to capitulate now would be a complete betrayal of the American people,” the Illinois governor and Senate candidate said. Juliana Stratton published in X.

Others, including California’s indivisible Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, have called for Schumer to be replaced in handling of the shutdown.

More than 100,000 people gather and march in Manhattan to participate in the “No Kings” protest in New York City on October 18, 2025. (Neil Constantine/Noor Photo via Getty Images)

Indivisible’s core plan, described as the group’s largest grassroots effort to date, includes calling on Schumer to step down as Senate Minority Leader, and supporting Senate nominees who have a “clear commitment to abandoning the status quo of impotent leadership, and using every tool available to fight MAGA’s attacks on our communities, our health, and our democracy.”

“Before the 2026 primaries, Indivisible will be activated.” (sic) A network to support progressive fighters who challenge powerless, status quo-loving incumbents. In a recent movement poll, 98.67% of Indivisible’s base said they want Senate Democrats to keep fighting, the group wrote, adding that its plan comes with more details, candidate endorsements and campaign efforts expected in the coming weeks.

Fox News Digital reached out to Indivisible on Wednesday morning for additional comment on the plan but did not immediately receive a response.

The Senate returns to work as the government shutdown approaches the longest in US history over the Obamacare battle

When asked about Democratic infighting over lawmakers who have joined the GOP, the White House reiterated that Trump has wanted to reopen the government since October 1.

President Donald Trump gestures to a reporter in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, in Washington. (Alex Brandon/The Associated Press)

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“President Trump has wanted to reopen the government since day one of the Democrats shutting it down,” a White House official told Fox Digital. “The action in the Senate is a positive development and we look forward to seeing it move forward.”

Trump joined Fox News Channel’s Laura Ingraham on Monday evening, saying the Republican Party “broke” Schumer.

“I think he made a mistake by going too far,” Trump said during the interview. “He thought he could break the Republicans, and the Republicans broke him.”

Fox Digital reached out to Schumer’s office regarding anger among some Democrats over the split vote and growing calls for him to step down but did not receive a response.

Fox News Digital’s Alex Miller and Leo Briceno contributed to this report.