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FIRST ON FOX: As the government shutdown nears its fourth week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has no intention of giving in to what Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wants.
On a surface level, Schumer and Senate Democrats want a guaranteed deal on expiring Obamacare subsidies, and Thune has signaled that he is open to giving them an opportunity to negotiate on that only after the government reopens.
But what he won’t do is strike a deal in secret with Schumer, something he told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that was all too often the case when the top Senate Democrat ran the upper chamber.
THUNE TORCHES SENATE DEMS FOR ALLOWING ‘FAR-LEFT’ LAWMAKERS TO HIJACK PARTY AFTER BLOCKING CRUCIAL BILL
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., wants to reignite the government funding process, but Senate Democrats appear unwilling to support his effort. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“You know, I’ve been around here when everything’s decided by four people in Schumer’s office,” Thune said. “That’s not a way to run the government.”
“It’s not the business model that Chuck Schumer is accustomed to, and he likes to be the kingmaker and have everybody come and kiss the ring,” he continued. “And I just think that’s not my style.”
Thune described his leadership style as a bottom-up approach “where senators get to be senators.” That has proven true so far, in his handling of the shutdown.
He’s encouraged rank-and-file Republicans to have talks with Senate Democrats in the hopes of constructing an off-ramp from the shutdown, rather than handing down a my-way-or-the-highway edict.
SENATE DEMS TANK GOP PLAN TO PAY TROOPS, FUND PENTAGON AS SHUTDOWN HITS DAY 16
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., attends a news conference following a weekly Democratic policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 7, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
And from those conversations, an offer to…
