Senate

Cruz: Schumer will shut down government weeks before midterms

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by Tara Suter - 04/21/26 3:43 PM ET

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by Tara Suter - 04/21/26 3:43 PM ET

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Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) predicted Tuesday that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) would shut down the government shortly before this year’s midterms.

“On Sept. 30, funding for the federal government will end. Chuck Schumer is not a creative guy, he’s not hard to predict. Last year, right before the election, what did Schumer do? He shut the whole government down, and the Democrats believe that shutdown helped them politically, and it benefited them in New Jersey and Virginia,” Cruz said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” referencing a shutdown surrounding health care issues that lasted more than a month.

“I will wager, right now, $100, that Schumer intends — on Oct. 1 — to do the same thing, to shut the whole federal government down for a month, so that on Election Day … the government is shut down, you have four-hour lines again in airports, and the Democrats can say, ‘See, the Republicans are in charge, they don’t know what they’re doing,’” he added.

Republicans are facing a rocky road to the midterms, with issues such as low approval ratings for President Trump, concerns around affordability and dissatisfaction with the recent U.S. conflict against Iran dogging the GOP as it approaches November.

According to a polling average from Decision Desk HQ, Trump’s approval rating is sitting at 40.8 percent, while his disapproval is at 56.3 percent.

Earlier this month, former Trump White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany warned that the upcoming midterms “will be hard” for the GOP.

“Not to put too rosy a picture on it though, midterms will be hard for Republicans. It’s just historically difficult to win when you’re in power, but I would like my odds more with this president than prior presidents,” she said on “Fox & Friends Weekend.”

During his CNBC interview, Cruz also discussed the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, with DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin warning on Tuesday that the department is going to be unable to pay out employee salaries beginning early next month.

The Hill has reached out to Schumer’s office for comment.

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