The U.S. Senate chamber erupted in laughter Tuesday evening after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) dismissed a New York Times/Siena College poll as “biased.” The poll found that 65 percent of registered voters opposed the Democrat-led government shutdown, compared to just 27 percent who supported it.
The poll, conducted between September 22 and September 27, surveyed 1,313 registered voters. It asked whether Democrats should shut down the government if their demands were not met. A majority of Americans—including a substantial portion of Democrats—said they should not.
Despite those findings, Schumer argued that the poll’s questions were slanted. “Now I know the leader is going to show a poll that says that the Democrats will be blamed for the shutdown. There are many more polls that show Republicans are blamed. The question in that poll is biased. Biased. It’s in the New York Times, but it’s biased,” Schumer said, prompting audible laughter from his colleagues.
Schumer attempted to clarify, saying, “I don’t always believe in the New York Times, you can be sure of that. Neither do you.”
The exchange took place just hours before the government officially shut down at midnight on October 1. Senate Democrats had blocked a clean continuing resolution (CR) passed by House Republicans, opting instead to hold out for additional policy and funding demands.
The laughter in the chamber reflected the skepticism—even among Schumer’s peers—over his attempt to discredit a poll published by a traditionally left-leaning outlet. The moment underscored the broader political tensions surrounding the shutdown, as both parties seek to deflect blame while the government remains unfunded.
