Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) failed to drum up enthusiasm for Kamala Harris among reporters while endorsing her bid for the Democrat presidential nomination during a press conference on Capitol Hill, Tuesday.
Schumer, 73, said Joe Biden’s “selfless decision” not to run “has given the Democratic Party the opportunity to unite behind a new nominee,” and since his announcement, the party has “swiftly coalesced” around Harris, "and boy oh boy are we enthusiastic."
Schumer then ludicrously told reporters that the machinations of the Democrat party’s power brokers to oust Biden once he was deemed unelectable was a “grassroots, bottom up” process.
“When I spoke with her Sunday, she said she wanted the opportunity to win the nomination on her own, and to do so from the grassroots up, not top down,” Schumer said.
“Now that the process has played out, from the grassroots, bottom up, we are here today throw our support behind Vice President Kamala Harris!” Schumer declared with gusto, while clapping his hands.
Schumer went on:
"...we are brimming with excitement, enthusiasm, unity."
In reaction to the dead silence that ensued, Schumer told reporters:
“I’m clapping—you don’t have to.”
Laughing, he added, “it’s a happy day, what can I say?”
The New York Democrat continued, saying:
“Kamala Harris and her candidacy has excited and energized the House Democratic Caucus, the Democratic Party and the nation. I’m proud to strongly endorse Kamala Harris to be the 47th president of the United States of America!”
He paused and waited for applause, but there wasn’t any.
“Applause?” he asked weakly, pointing to members of the press.
Schumer then handed the mike over to Jeffries, who said that Harris is “ready, willing and able to lead us into the future.”
When Schumer was asked during the Q&A whether he had “personally asked” Biden to step down during his visit to Biden’s beach house in Delaware on July 13, the senator didn’t deny it.
“Look, what I would say is that the president has done an amazing, amazing job as president—one of the best we’ve ever had and he put his country first and made the right decision,” he said.
Watch the farcical cringefest here...
