Trump and Schumer's Political Soap Opera Stars Old NYC Connections and Mutual Distrust
KEY POINTS
- •Chuck Schumer and Donald Trump maintain a private friendship rooted in decades-old New York connections and campaign donations.
- •Last month, Schumer supported Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick at a New York chips plant groundbreaking amid Congressional funding disputes.
- •Despite public clashes including a 2018 Oval Office confrontation, their relationship influences critical decisions like the ongoing ICE reform negotiations.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former President Trump keep their weird NYC bromance alive like a cabaret stuck on repeat. Back in the day, Trump paid almost $20,000 to Schumer’s campaigns (less than a Trump hotel night, but still), and Schumer popped up on The Apprentice praising their daddy-grandpa Brooklyn builder dynasty. They even buddied up with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to cheerlead a New York chips plant, despite Trump throwing shade on its funding bill. Behind the scenes, they chat like old block boys who know each other's numbers but will still rip hearts out publicly. 2018 saw an Oval Office throwdown, 2025 a filibuster meltdown, and now they’re battling over ICE reforms and a bizarre plot to rename Penn Station after Trump himself—because egos need landmarks. Karoline Leavitt admitted the idea was 'floated,' so next stop: Trump-branded subway rat? It’s complicated — like two New Yorkers who alternate between 'fight me' and 'sip coffee, keep secrets.'
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Schumer and Trump: public enemies, backstage besties, funding fights, Penn Station power plays, and the toner’s still dry on their friendship contract.
Watching Schumer and Trump negotiate is like binge-watching a soap where the villains share a therapist and secretly ghost each other overnight.
The real winner from Schumer and Trump’s dealmaking? The chips factory's PR team and Penn Station's repaint budget, probably.
Source: Axios | Published: 2/13/2026 | Author: Stephen Neukam
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