Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) said in an interview published Tuesday that he only rebounded after President Trump's election victory when he received a message from on high telling him how important his job is with Trump in the White House.
Schumer told Politico that he fell into a "deep funk" after Hillary Clinton lost the presidential race in November and did not recover until he got "almost a message from God."
"He said he fell into a deep funk for three days after Clinton lost and Democrats blew their best chance at taking back the Senate until 2020," Politico reported. "But on the fourth day, Schumer says, 'it was like a thunderbolt hit me, almost a message from God.'"
"I said to myself if Hillary won and you were majority leader, the job would be more fun and it would be a lot easier. And most importantly you'd get to do some good things," Schumer said. "But with Trump as president and you as minority leader, the job is much more important. That has fueled me ever since."
The New York Democrat also discussed with Politico upcoming Senate battles over Judge Neil Gorsuch's Supreme Court nomination and a potential government shutdown. He predicted Democrats would come out on top in both cases, despite the party's weak state after the 2016 elections.
"They're in charge. Government shuts down, it's on their back. We have leverage," said Schumer, who also predicted he would get his way in opposing the Gorsuch nomination, besting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.).
Schumer is confident he can block McConnell from filling a Supreme Court vacancy–and that McConnell might not have the votes to gut the filibuster to get Gorsuch through.
"There's been an almost seismic shift in the caucus," against Gorsuch, Schumer said. As for McConnell changing the rules in response, the minority leader added: "I don't think it's a foregone conclusion. … There are people in his caucus who really don't want to change the rules, OK?"
Schumer has come out against Gorsuch's nomination and said Democrats would filibuster a confirmation vote.
After careful deliberation, I have concluded that I cannot support Judge Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 23, 2017
Judge Gorsuch's nomination will face a cloture vote & as I’ve said, he will have to earn sixty votes for confirmation. My vote will be 'No."
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 23, 2017
Schumer's interview came less than two days after he reportedly yelled at a Trump supporter at a Manhattan restaurant.
The senator yelled at Hilary Califano, wife of prominent Democrat Joseph A. Califano Jr., for supporting Trump, according to Page Six.
"She voted for Trump!" the New York Democrat yelled in the restaurant, according to witnesses. "How could you vote for Trump? He's a liar!"
Another patron of Sette Mezzo, the restaurant, disputed claims that Schumer yelled, saying the conversation was civil.