Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer renewed his promise to stay in his leadership position as the Democratic Party tries to find its footing in the first 100 days of the Trump administration and deal with an internal divide about where the party is heading.

Schumer has been facing calls to step down as the top Senate Democrat since he supported a stopgap bill to avoid a government shutdown. It angered some lawmakers and the party’s base for “appeasing” President Donald Trump and his Republican majorities in the House and Senate.

The party is also in the middle of a shift from established leadership figures after former President Joe Biden left office, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and other members of her leadership team stepped back from their roles and it was hit by a wave of retirements over the last two cycles.

A handful of longtime Democratic lawmakers have opted against seeking reelection ahead of the 2026 midterms and cited a desire to pass the torch to the next generation.

No. 2 Senate Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois announced he would not seek another term after years in leadership and wanted to give an opportunity for younger Democrats to step up. Rep. Gerry Connolly, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said Monday he would soon step down from his post on the committee due to health issues, opening another high-profile position for a younger lawmaker to take.

Despite the simmering frustrations within the party and growing trend of older Democrats leaving office, Schumer said he will stay in his post as the minority leader.

In an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Schumer insisted the caucus was doing well in standing up to Trump and was united in its message. He also confirmed he would be staying in his post for the foreseeable future.

“I am staying put, and I’m fighting the fight every day, as is our caucus, in a united and successful way, as you have seen by your poll and other polls. We’re showing America how bad Trump is and showing that Republicans who embrace Trump do so at their peril,” Schumer said.

Finding a central resistance figure in the first 100 days of the Trump administration has been a struggle for Democrats with essentially no levers to pull to draw concessions from the White House or Republicans. Some younger senators, like Chris Murphy and Connecticut and Cory Booker of New Jersey, have taken a more outspoken role while high-profile progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders have been on nationwide tour trying to rally support against the administration.

But much of the attention is still aimed at the party’s leadership that still includes many figures elected during a different time in politics.

“The problem for these guys is they just aren’t they’re not prepared for this new world of social media and nonstop news cycles. They came of age during Watergate, when they just had to prepare for the three broadcast stations and newspapers, so they’re not out there constantly doing social media and showing they have fight. It’s just a different way of politics,” said Ray La Raja, a political science professor and co-director of the UMass poll.

The debate about what direction to take the party moving forward comes as it is trying to regain majorities in the 2026 midterms that are historically favorable to the opposition party from who is in the White House. It also comes amid tumbling approval ratings for congressional Democrats in the first 100 days of Trump’s second term.

An ABC News-Washington Post-Ipsos poll released over the weekend found Democrats are also facing a reputation problem with the American public, with just 30% of people saying they trust Democrats in Congress to deal with the country’s main problems. Sixty-nine percent of people said the party is out of touch, compared to 64% for Republicans and 60% for the president.

Despite the negative outlook on the party overall, early signs indicate a favorable environment for Democrats once the 2026 midterms roll around. Several recent polls have found Democrats leading on generic ballots ahead of next year’s elections over Republicans.

Concerns about the economy, inflation and effects of Trump’s tariffs are also starting to weigh on voters. There are also growing warnings about the potential for a recession and higher prices as a result of trade policy from the White House that risk economic growth and higher prices. Poor approval ratings on the economy could further improve Democrats’ standing heading into the elections.

“Sometimes the best message again is, ‘We’re normies. We’re going to make sure your Social Security check shows up on time.’ At the end of the day, most people don’t care about the nonsense going on in Washington, they just want to make sure that the trains run on time and people aren’t being corrupt,” La Raja said. “Tactics is more important than some strategic message right now, that will emerge.”

Have a news tip? Contact Austin Denean at atdenean@sbgtv.com or at x.com/austindenean.