President Donald Trump is making it clear he has little faith in working with Democrat leadership in Congress, calling them “insane people” during remarks to reporters Wednesday. Asked whether he planned to meet with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries over the looming government funding deadline, Trump was blunt.
“Well, I will, I guess, but it’s almost a waste of time to meet because they never approve anything,” he said. “If we want money to fight crime, if we want money to do—only good things, just good things, let’s not even talk about controversial—they don’t want to meet about anything.”
Trump accused Democrats of being directionless and incapable of constructive action. “They’re stuck. They don’t know what to do… I would say more than half are sane, but they are led by insane people,” he added.
His comments come as polling shows Democrats in one of their worst positions in decades. A CNBC poll conducted from July 29 to August 3 found just 24 percent of Americans hold a favorable view of the Democrat Party, compared to 56 percent with a negative opinion — a staggering -32 net approval rating. CNBC notes it’s the lowest score for either party in their polling since 1996.
The poll’s margin of error is ±3.1 percent, but the trend is backed up by other surveys. According to the RealClearPolling aggregate, Democrats currently average a 34.1 percent favorability rating with an unfavorability score of 59.4 percent. That’s in line with a March CNN/SSRS poll that pegged their favorability at just 29 percent.
Trump has long argued that Democrats are alienating voters with fringe, unpopular policies. In a past interview with Breitbart News, he said the party had “broken” itself, pointing to issues like allowing men to compete in women’s sports as examples of policies that most Americans reject. “These aren’t 90-10, these are 95-5, and I don’t know who the 5 are,” Trump said at the time.
The President’s latest remarks reflect his broader frustration with congressional gridlock and his belief that Democrat leadership, in particular, is obstructing progress on widely supported initiatives. He emphasized that even straightforward measures — such as funding to fight crime — are being stonewalled by the minority party.
While Trump signaled he may still meet with Schumer and Jeffries, his tone suggested little optimism about achieving results. He portrayed the Democrat leadership as driven by ideology rather than problem-solving, warning that their refusal to work on bipartisan issues is part of why public opinion has soured so sharply against them.
For Trump, these dismal polling numbers aren’t just a talking point — they’re evidence that Democrats’ political strategy is failing. With approval ratings sinking to historic lows, he sees their leadership as increasingly desperate and disconnected from mainstream America.
As the government funding deadline approaches, the divide between the two parties is as sharp as ever. But if Trump’s read on public opinion is correct, the Democrats’ standing with voters may be an even bigger problem for them than any budget fight.
