Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has pointed fingers at Republicans and President Donald Trump, accusing them of risking a government shutdown if they fail to negotiate with Democrats. With the deadline to avoid a shutdown approaching this Tuesday, tensions are rising in Washington.

In a candid interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Schumer expressed his hopes for passing a stopgap bill by next week but stressed that the responsibility for averting a shutdown lies squarely with the Republicans and the President. This comes after President Trump abruptly canceled a critical meeting with Democratic leaders, a move that has intensified the standoff.

"It's so easy to just sit down and talk to us, and we know we're not going to get everything, but he's not even doing that," Schumer remarked, visibly frustrated. "And the American people are going to say, 'WTF? Why won't he do that?' There's no good reason."

Trump defended his decision to cancel the meeting in a post on Truth Social, claiming that the demands from the "Minority Radical Left Democrats" were unserious and ridiculous, and that meeting with them wouldn’t be productive. This decision was reportedly influenced by discussions with House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, as GOP leaders fear that engaging with Democrats could diminish their leverage.

Despite the mounting pressure, Schumer remains optimistic that the public will see through the political games and place the blame on the Republicans if a shutdown occurs. “Ask the Republicans,” he urged. “First, they control the show. They have the presidency, they have the Senate, they have the House, so they’re in charge. And God forbid there’s a shutdown — which we don’t want — American people are going to know they’re in charge and say, 'what the heck?'”

Schumer also highlighted that despite Trump’s assertions that he doesn’t need Democratic support, the reality of Senate voting tells a different story. “He said he doesn’t need Democrats,” Schumer noted. “Well, then he doesn’t know how to count because there are 60 votes in the Senate that you need to pass this, and he’s got 53.”

As the clock ticks down to the deadline, Schumer and his fellow Democrats continue to push for a meeting with Trump, hoping to find a middle ground and prevent a government shutdown that could have far-reaching consequences.