The Democratic leader said the difference between Trump’s promises and his actions mean his speech to Congress will be empty words.
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer believes the rhetoric in President Donald Trump's speech wont be backed up with "real actions." (TOM WILLIAMS/CQ ROLL CALL/GETTY IMAGES)
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday that President Donald Trump's upcoming speech before Congress was "less important" than similar addresses in the past, and he accused the president of talking like a populist and governing like an elitist.
"Tonight's speech from the president will be far less important than past presidential addresses for one very simple reason," the New York Democrat said. "This president has shown ... that there is a yawning gap between what he says and what his administration actually does for working Americans."
Schumer made his remarks on the Senate floor just hours before Trump was expected to use his address to call for sweeping changes to policy and to attempt to unite a divided country.
The president, he said, "talks like a populist but governs like a pro-corporate, pro-elite, hard-right ideologue."
"He told raucous crowds that he would tear down the power structure in Washington and drain the swamp, but he spent his first month in office appointing bankers and billionaires and titans of Wall Street to fill his administration," Schumer said. "He ran a campaign against the elites, promising to stand to Wall Street, but as soon as he's in office he has started to try to roll back Wall Street reform and consumer protections designed to prevent another economic crisis and protect the interests of hardworking Americans."
Schumer listed Trump's Cabinet appointments of Wall Street executives and his signature on a bill to repeal part of the Dodd-Frank financial regulations that require energy companies to disclose foreign payments as some of Trump's offenses.
"That's the swamp. He's not cleaning it, he's making it worse," Schumer said. "Despite all the talk, he seems to be full steam ahead on a program to help big business, special interests, Wall Street."
Worse, Schumer said, the president has yet to put forward legislation to improve the nation's infrastructure or put in place rules making it harder for jobs to move overseas.
"President Trump ran as a populist and still talks like one, but his first month has been a boon for corporations, the wealthy and elite in America and provided absolutely no relief to folks who are struggling to make ends meet, to relief to the middle class and those struggling to get there," Schumer said. "In fact, many of his proposals shift the burden off the backs of the special interests and keep it on the backs of working families. And he likely isn't even finished yet."
"If past is prologue, the president will use populist rhetoric in his speech, but he won't back it up with real actions," he said. "He'll present himself as a president for the forgotten man, but he'll forget him the moment it comes to governing."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday that President Donald Trump's upcoming speech before Congress was "less important" than similar addresses in the past, and he accused the president of talking like a populist and governing like an elitist.
"Tonight's speech from the president will be far less important than past presidential addresses for one very simple reason," the New York Democrat said. "This president has shown ... that there is a yawning gap between what he says and what his administration actually does for working Americans."
Schumer made his remarks on the Senate floor just hours before Trump was expected to use his address to call for sweeping changes to policy and to attempt to unite a divided country.
The president, he said, "talks like a populist but governs like a pro-corporate, pro-elite, hard-right ideologue."
"He told raucous crowds that he would tear down the power structure in Washington and drain the swamp, but he spent his first month in office appointing bankers and billionaires and titans of Wall Street to fill his administration," Schumer said. "He ran a campaign against the elites, promising to stand to Wall Street, but as soon as he's in office he has started to try to roll back Wall Street reform and consumer protections designed to prevent another economic crisis and protect the interests of hardworking Americans."
Schumer listed Trump's Cabinet appointments of Wall Street executives and his signature on a bill to repeal part of the Dodd-Frank financial regulations that require energy companies to disclose foreign payments as some of Trump's offenses.
"That's the swamp. He's not cleaning it, he's making it worse," Schumer said. "Despite all the talk, he seems to be full steam ahead on a program to help big business, special interests, Wall Street."
Worse, Schumer said, the president has yet to put forward legislation to improve the nation's infrastructure or put in place rules making it harder for jobs to move overseas.
"President Trump ran as a populist and still talks like one, but his first month has been a boon for corporations, the wealthy and elite in America and provided absolutely no relief to folks who are struggling to make ends meet, to relief to the middle class and those struggling to get there," Schumer said. "In fact, many of his proposals shift the burden off the backs of the special interests and keep it on the backs of working families. And he likely isn't even finished yet."
"If past is prologue, the president will use populist rhetoric in his speech, but he won't back it up with real actions," he said. "He'll present himself as a president for the forgotten man, but he'll forget him the moment it comes to governing."
