Hours after President Donald Trump told Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to “go to hell” in a fiery social media post Saturday, the Senate adjourned for summer break without reaching an agreement on confirming his pending nominees.
Sources familiar with the talks told CNN that Senate GOP Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), Schumer (D-N.Y.), and White House officials had been locked in tense negotiations aimed at breaking the impasse and allowing lawmakers to return to their home states.
According to the sources, Schumer had demanded the release of certain federal funds and sought assurances that Trump would not pursue another budget-cutting legislative package before agreeing to any deal, CNN noted.
But, on social media, Trump called Schumer’s demands “egregious and unprecedented,” a sign that talks had gotten nowhere.
Trump had pushed for the Senate to confirm his nominees, even if it meant forgoing the August recess, but his post made clear he had no intention of conceding to the Democrats’ demands.“Senator Cryin’ Chuck Schumer is demanding over One Billion Dollars in order to approve a small number of our highly qualified nominees, who should right now be helping to run our Country. This demand is egregious and unprecedented, and would be embarrassing to the Republican Party if it were accepted. It is political extortion, by any other name,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
“Tell Schumer, who is under tremendous political pressure from within his own party, the Radical Left Lunatics, to GO TO HELL! Do not accept the offer, go home and explain to your constituents what bad people the Democrats are, and what a great job the Republicans are doing, and have done, for our Country. Have a great RECESS and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!,” Trump added.
On Saturday night, Thune took to the Senate floor to request unanimous consent for the chamber to vote on a select group of nominations before adjourning for a month-long recess.
Democrats had been slow-walking President Trump’s lower-level nominees, prompting Senate GOP Leader John Thune to keep the chamber in session over the weekend to push them through. Though in the minority, Democrats wield procedural tools that can force Republicans to clear time-consuming hurdles before votes can take place.
According to sources familiar with the talks, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made several demands in exchange for expediting a batch of confirmations. These included unfreezing federal funds for programs like the National Institutes of Health and foreign aid, as well as securing a promise from Trump not to pursue another round of spending cuts—following a $9 billion rescissions package passed earlier this summer.
At a Saturday night press conference, Schumer said Democrats were “serious” about negotiating a “reasonable path” to bipartisan confirmation of nominees, but said the president refused to accept their terms, CNN said.
All said, however, Democrats are finding themselves in an increasingly perilous situation some 15 months before the midterm elections. The party is at historically low levels of approval, according to a series of polls this year, and fundraising has fallen far short of GOP efforts.
In fact, Trump’s campaign and allied political committees have already met his ambitious $1.4 billion fundraising goal — more than a year ahead of schedule — setting the stage for what insiders say will be record-breaking spending in the midterms.
Trump set the goal shortly after securing a second term, vowing to use his political operation to protect House and Senate Republicans and ensure one-party control of Congress throughout his presidency, The New York Post reported.
The $1.4 billion target was first revealed in May, when Trump’s team disclosed a $600 million haul — already a historic figure. On Friday, they announced the goal had been met in full through a combination of cash on hand and pledged donations, funneled through the Republican National Committee and his super PAC, Make America Great Again, Inc.
Trump Doubles Down, Hints At RICO Probe Into George Soros Orgs 
President Donald Trump on Friday said his administration would investigate billionaire George Soros and members of his family for possible racketeering charges, escalating long-running accusations that Soros bankrolls protests and unrest across the United States.
“We’re going to look into Soros,” Trump told Fox & Friends. “Because I think it’s a RICO case against him and other people.”RICO — the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act — is a federal law typically used to prosecute organized crime, targeting individuals who participate in ongoing criminal enterprises.
“Because this is more than like protests,” Trump continued. “This is real agitation. This is riots on the street. And we’re going to look into it.” He alleged that protesters “get paid for their profession from Soros and other people.”
The remarks mark the strongest public signal yet that Trump intends to bring the weight of federal law enforcement against Soros, a longtime Democratic donor and frequent target of conservatives who accuse him of quietly funding left-wing causes.
Trump previously floated the idea of such charges on Truth Social, writing:
“George Soros, and his wonderful Radical Left son, should be charged with RICO because of their support of Violent Protests, and much more, all throughout the United States of America. We’re not going to allow these lunatics to rip apart America any more, never giving it so much as a chance to ‘BREATHE,’ and be FREE. Soros, and his group of psychopaths, have caused great damage to our Country! That includes his Crazy, West Coast friends. Be careful, we’re watching you!”
The Open Society Foundations, Soros’ philanthropic network, has denied the allegations. In an August statement, the group said it does “not support or fund violent protests,” calling threats of prosecution “outrageous.”
Trump tied the proposed investigation to the aftermath of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk earlier this week at Utah Valley University, calling the killing “political violence at its worst.” Kirk, 31, was shot during a campus speaking event before a crowd of thousands.
“My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity, and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it,” Trump said in a video statement Wednesday.
The president has long criticized what he calls a “professional protest movement” funded by wealthy left-wing donors. During his first term, Trump repeatedly clashed with hard left advocacy groups he accused of supporting unrest in major cities. His Justice Department occasionally examined protest organizations but rarely pursued cases under racketeering statutes.
RICO is generally used to prosecute organized crime syndicates, gangs, and corrupt businesses. To secure a conviction, prosecutors must demonstrate a pattern of criminal activity connected to an enterprise.
Trump allies have argued that if violent actors are being supported by financial networks, RICO may be the appropriate tool to investigate those connections.
The move comes as Trump has increasingly emphasized a law-and-order message heading into the 2026 midterm election cycle, pointing to violent crime in cities and accusing Democratic donors and officials of fueling unrest.
Soros, 94, has been a frequent Republican target for decades, since he has financed soft-on-crime prosecutors, radical advocacy groups, and left-wing ballot initiatives. His son Alex Soros now chairs the Open Society Foundations and has taken on a more visible role in Democratic politics.
The renewed focus on Soros reflects how the White House is moving quickly after Kirk’s assassination to tie the incident into a broader crackdown on what Trump calls “political violence networks.”
Asked about the president’s comments Friday, a Justice Department spokesperson declined to confirm whether any investigation into Soros or his organizations is underway.