Overview

• At a July 8 White House cabinet meeting, Trump called Schumer a “Palestinian senator” and accused him of unfairly blaming the president for the Texas floods.
• Schumer has demanded an investigation into National Weather Service staffing after vacancy rates reportedly doubled following waves of early retirements and a hiring freeze.
• Administration spokespeople and meteorologists—including former NOAA official Alan Gerard—say there is no evidence that recent cuts impaired flood forecasting.
• The flash floods in Texas have killed over 100 people, including 28 children, underscoring the human cost at the center of the dispute.
• Polls by Data for Progress and other surveyors indicate that Ocasio-Cortez would lead Schumer by roughly 20 points in a potential 2028 Democratic primary.