Democrats turn on Schumer as Van Hollen weighs a challenge for Senate leader

Days after their Senate wins, some Democrats are turning on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who plans to seek another term as the party's leader when it takes control of the chamber next year, Fox News Digital reports.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said this week they would not back him for leader. Senators-elect Adam Hamilton, Peggy Flanagan, Scott Colom and Abdul El-Sayed have also publicly rejected him.

Schumer's critics are looking to Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who is talking with colleagues about a run against him. Van Hollen has taken shots at Schumer for siding "with the crypto industry" and AIPAC against progressive candidates. "We should bring a little more democracy to the United States Senate," he said at the Popular Mandate conference this week.

Protesters chanted outside Schumer's office, and the progressive group Indivisible launched a "Tell Democrats: NO Schumer Coronation" campaign.

Schumer still has allies. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., brushed off Van Hollen: "Well, what's his record, other than yelling about anti-Israel stuff, or last year when he visited that wife beating guy in prison," a reference to Van Hollen's visit to Kilmar Abrego Garcia. DSCC Chair Kirsten Gillibrand also defended Schumer.