Schumer says 'oligarchs' keep him up at night, despite his own ties to billionaires
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told the hosts of "The View" on Tuesday morning that "oligarchs" running the United States keep him up at night, despite his ties to the billionaire Soros family.
"I wake up at 3 in the morning sometimes so worried about the future of this country under these oligarchs," Schumer said on "The View."
Mega-donor George Soros donated millions to Schumer's Senate Majority PAC during the 2024 election, and Schumer maintains a well-documented relationship with the billionaire's son, Alex Soros.
Campaign finance reports revealed Democracy PAC II, primarily funded by Soros, gave $2.5 million to Senate Majority PAC in 2024, Fox News confirmed. Democracy PAC II gave $3.5 million in calendar year 2022, and $2.5 million in calendar year 2021, for a combined $6 million, records show.
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A 2023 Fox News Digital review of Alex's Instagram found dozens of pictures with top Democrats in the House and the Senate between 2018 and 2022, including at least nine meetings with Schumer.
"Good to see majority leader [Schumer] earlier this week! Energized to elect at least two more Democratic senators so we can secure voting rights and a woman's right to chose!" Soros posted on his Instagram in July 2022 along with a picture of the pair.
In a December 2021 Instagram post, Alex called Schumer his "good friend" and said he had a "great meeting" with him at the Capitol. A few months earlier, Alex took a selfie with Schumer wearing a bicycle helmet and said it was "good to see our senate majority leader [Schumer] the other day, biking and in good shape, and so focused on [voting rights] legislation."
A Fox News Digital review of visitor logs found Alex visited the White House six times from October 2021 to December 2022, during former President Joe Biden's administration. A White House official confirmed to Fox News Digital that two of the visits were with Ron Klain, Biden's chief of staff.
Alex's social media presence has consistently showcased his relationship with leading Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and candidates from the most contested down-ballot races of 2024, such as Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz.
Biden awarded George Soros with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January, which Alex accepted in his honor.
"His inspiring generosity reminds us all of our capacity and our obligation to stand up to the abuse of power and to be guardians of democracy and all people yearning to be free," Biden said during the ceremony.
"A travesty that Biden is giving Soros the Medal of Freedom," Elon Musk, who has been at the center of Democrats' accusations of rising oligarchy, posted on X in response to Soros accepting the nation’s highest civilian honor.
MoveOn.org, a group that has accepted millions from Soros and his Open Society Policy Center in recent years, led the "Congress Works for Us, Not Musk" initiative that shut down town halls and Republican offices across the country.
National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP), a national organization on the forefront of the pro-Palestine Columbia University protests, accepted fiscal sponsorship from the Westchester Peace Action Committee Foundation (WESPAC). Fox News Digital reported last year that WESPAC received a six-figure donation from a nonprofit funded by Soros' network.
The Democratic Party also leaned on wealthy surrogates on the campaign trail in 2024. Former Vice President Kamala Harris hosted events with celebrities, including Beyoncé, Eminem, Bruce Springsteen and Mark Cuban.
FEC filings show the Harris campaign made two $500,000 payments to Oprah Winfrey’s production company on Oct. 15, a month after Winfrey appeared with Harris at a town hall event and weeks before Oprah was on stage with Harris at a Philadelphia rally before election day.
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Despite the Democrats' own recorded ties to billionaire donors, the term "oligarchy" has been used by Democrats to describe President Donald Trump's second term.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has drawn thousands of supporters to his "Fighting Oligarchy" rallies across the country, with stops in Michigan and Wisconsin this past weekend. The events are billed as an opportunity to "discuss how we take on the greed of the billionaire class and create a government that works for all and not just the few."
Democrats were outraged by Trump inviting billionaires like Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg to his inauguration, and Biden used the term "oligarchy" in his farewell address to the nation.
"Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead," Biden told Americans on Jan. 13.
Schumer defended his leadership on "The View" following his decision to vote for a Republican spending bill to avert a government shutdown and subsequently canceling stops on his book tour over "security concerns."
"We are fighting them tooth and nail in every way we can, but you've got to fight them smart and if you led yourself into a shutdown, which, by the way, Musk, DOGE, Vought, they wanted a shutdown. They said they wanted a shutdown, and they thought we'd play into their hands," Schumer continued to "The View" on Tuesday.
Schumer said "MAGA right-wing Republicans," including Musk and Director of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russell Vought, wanted to shut down the government to deliver "tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans."
"The MAGA right-wing Republicans dream of decimating the government. You know why they do it? They want tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. They want to destroy government, give it all to the wealthy and get rid of any regulations they might have, so I felt an obligation to stop it."
Schumer said "a small group of wealthy, greedy" Republicans are seizing power from the people and mocked Republicans who want to protect their hard-earned money from increased taxes.
"The Republican Party is a different kettle of fish than it used to be, and that's why we're fighting them so hard. They are controlled by a small group of wealthy, greedy people. You know what their attitude is? ‘I made my money all by myself. How dare your government take my money from me? I don't want to pay taxes. I built my company with my own bare hands. How dare your government tell me how I should treat my customers, the land and water that I own, or my employees?' They hate government. Government is a barrier to people, a barrier to stop them from doing things. They want to destroy it. We are not letting them do it. And we are united," Schumer said.
Schumer's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.