Chuck Schumer’s book tour has hit a brick wall—but not for the reasons some might assume. The official explanation? Security concerns. The real reason? A furious backlash from his own base, which feels betrayed after Schumer abandoned the fight they wanted over government funding.
Schumer, who had been gearing up to promote his book Antisemitism in America: A Warning, suddenly finds himself the target of left-wing activists who expected him to take a more hardline stance against Republicans on the continuing resolution (CR). Instead, Schumer opted for a more pragmatic approach, backing away from a shutdown confrontation that many in his party were pushing for. His rationale? Shutting down the government, he argued, would only give more power to Donald Trump and his allies in their efforts to shrink the federal bureaucracy.
That decision sent shockwaves through progressive circles, where frustration has been simmering over a lack of strong leadership. The anger became especially apparent when one of Schumer’s book events, a discussion with Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) on antisemitism, was suddenly postponed. Torres, a rare Democratic voice in support of Israel, had recently criticized Schumer and Senate Democrats for their handling of the funding bill. After those comments, the event quietly disappeared from the venue’s website.
NEWS: Schumer is postponing his book tour, amid major backlash from Democrats to his decision last week to pass the CR.
— Annie Karni (@anniekarni) March 17, 2025
This isn’t just about budget negotiations, though. Schumer is also facing protests from Jewish groups over his handling of the Antisemitism Awareness Act, a bill designed to address the surge of antisemitic incidents on college campuses. While Schumer pledged to push the legislation forward, it stalled due to disagreements with House Speaker Mike Johnson on how to advance it. Activists are now calling him out, arguing that he’s failed to protect Jewish students while his party aligns itself with pro-Palestinian movements that have harassed Jewish communities.
And yet, the official reason given for the book tour’s cancellation? Security concerns. But there’s little indication that Republicans or MAGA activists had any interest in Schumer’s book tour to begin with—let alone that they posed a security threat. The protests and backlash are overwhelmingly coming from within Schumer’s own party.
Axios even admitted that the real problem isn’t right-wing outrage but “resistance backlash,” a telling phrase that suggests Schumer’s troubles stem from the same progressive factions that once embraced him. Politico echoed this sentiment, noting that activists had been organizing protests at Schumer’s events.
To make matters worse, this isn’t just a delay—it’s likely the effective cancellation of the book tour. Timing is everything in book sales, and by the time Schumer can reschedule events, his moment in the spotlight will have passed. If this book was supposed to solidify his legacy as a defender against antisemitism, his own party’s response suggests the opposite.