Analysis · Floor speech · beta

Charles E. Schumer

Democrat on Legislative Session 2026-07-27

742 words · 47 sentences · 57 clauses

Statement grade

C+

Average 67 / 100

A score under 50 is red. Choose a measurement to see where it lost points and why; choose it again to clear.

Positioning 46%Claims 39%Promise 8%Procedure 4%The question 0%The ask 3%

This view breaks the statement into its steps and names what each one does.

Madam President, Positioning · 29 wordsTrump going to Michigan today to tout his economic record is like an arsonist returning to the scene of the crime and asking for a pat on the back.Positioning Claims · 24 wordsTrump has said over and over again that ``affordability’’ is a made-up word. He has said Americans’ skyrocketing costs are nothing but a hoax. Positioning · 18 wordsHey, Donald, ask any Michigander whether they think the higher costs that are crushing them are a hoax.Positioning Claims · 11 wordsMichiganders and Americans know that rising costs are all too real, Unearned certaintyPositioning · 11 wordsand they know who is to blame--Donald Trump and the GOP.Positioning Claims · 18 wordsOver and over again, they have done things that have made it more expensive to live in Michigan. Positioning · 13 wordsIf Trump wants to tout his economic record in Michigan, so be it.Positioning Claims · 63 wordsTrump can brag about how Michiganders are forking over $4.23 for a gallon of gas on a car economy because of his failed war with Iran.¹ Trump can take credit for the massive tariff tax he is forcing Michiganders to pay because of the whopping 50 percent tariff he just slapped on Canada--the State’s northern neighbor.² The Michigan and Canadian economies are intertwined. Positioning · 14 wordsHow stupid to impose a tariff when the two economies depend on each other.Positioning Claims · 23 wordsOr maybe Trump wants to boast to Michigan’s factory workers about the 75,000 American manufacturing jobs he has lost in his second term.³ Positioning · 44 wordsEverywhere you look, the Michigan economy is in shambles because of Donald Trump and his actions.Unearned certainty So that is your record, Donald. Go ahead and own it. Trump thinks he is in for a warm reception in Michigan; he is in for a reckoning.Positioning Madam President, Positioning · 50 wordson corruption, the only people who think America is getting more affordable are Donald Trump and his cronies as they cash in on unprecedented corruption. We see a new con come out of the Trump administration almost every day, but the scheme is always the same: Americans pay; Trump profits.Positioning Claims · 70 wordsLast week, I announced Senate Democrats’ new effort to stop Trump from turning his Presidency into his personal ATM. We released a report detailing how the Trump family has defrauded the American people to the tune of more than $4 billion in the past 18 months.⁴ We also saw Republicans vote against my legislation to prevent Trump from wasting further taxpayer dollars on upgrades for his $400 million luxury jet.⁵ Promise · 60 wordsOur work to expose and stop Trump’s grift continues this week.Vague promise In the coming days, I plan to announce new legislation to clean up the swamp Trump promised to drain a decade ago. We are unmasking the people who are swindling the American people, holding their feet to the fire, and advancing reforms to stop further corruption in the future.Vague promise Positioning · 50 wordsThe Presidency isn’t a product to sell, a commodity to trade, or a grift to run--no matter how hard Donald Trump tries. Every American who has been forced to pay more this last year and a half is paying for Trump’s profit margin. We are done picking up his tab.Positioning Madam President, Procedure · 17 wordson the SAVE Act, it is a new week in Washington, but one thing remains the same: ProcedureClaims · 10 wordsThe SAVE Act is dead on arrival in the Senate. Positioning · 45 wordsTrump keeps tiring himself out running the same play. Trump knows he can’t defend Republicans’ abysmal record--his abysmal record-- so he whines to the GOP to pass the SAVE Act to disenfranchise voters who want to hold him accountable in November. Give it up, Donald.Positioning Claims · 30 wordsThe SAVE Act ain’t going to happen. The courts have rejected the SAVE Act.⁶ Congress rejected the SAVE Act.⁷ Even members of Trump’s own party have rejected the SAVE Act.⁸ Positioning · 21 wordsRepublican problems aren’t going to go away until Trump realizes how futile this brazen effort to rig our elections really is.Positioning Claims · 24 wordsInstead, Trump has said publicly that ``Republicans have to pass SAVE . . . otherwise we are going to have a shutdown in November.’’⁹ Positioning · 3 wordsThat is Trump.Positioning Claims · 5 wordsHe keeps threatening a shutdown. The question · 3 wordsAre Republicans listening? Claims · 9 wordsYour President is threatening to shut down the government. Positioning · 42 wordsIt is not Democrats doing that. Donald, I keep trying to remind you, the last time you bragged about shutting down the government--back when Nancy Pelosi was in charge then--didn’t go so well for you, did it? And it definitely won’t now.Positioning The ask · 24 wordsRepublicans either need to drop this frivolous and vicious effort to pass the SAVE Act or watch Democrats stop it dead in its tracks. Procedure · 11 wordsI yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.Procedure

At a glance

Lost points for
Little substanceMuch of this statement went to praise, blame, greetings, routine procedure or general stories rather than reasons, requests or specific points.

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 44

32 of 36 deductions are Signal

Signal checks whether every part makes a point, gives a reason, or asks for action. A low score means the speaker filled time with fluff, pleasantries, or attacks.

Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Trump going to Michigan today to tout his economic record is like an arsonist returning to the scene of the crime and asking for a pat on the back.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Hey, Donald, ask any Michigander whether they think the higher costs that are crushing them are a hoax.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “and they know who is to blame--Donald Trump and the GOP.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “If Trump wants to tout his economic record in Michigan,”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “so be it.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “How stupid to impose a tariff when the two economies depend on each other.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Everywhere you look, the Michigan economy is in shambles because of Donald Trump and his actions.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “So that is your record, Donald.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Go ahead and own it.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Trump thinks he is in for a warm reception in Michigan;”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “he is in for a reckoning.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “on corruption, the only people who think America is getting more affordable are Donald Trump and his cronies as they cash in on unprecedented corruption.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “We see a new con come out of the Trump administration almost every day,”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “but the scheme is always the same:”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Americans pay;”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Trump profits.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “The Presidency isn’t a product to sell, a commodity to trade,”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “or a grift to run--no matter how hard Donald Trump tries.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Every American who has been forced to pay more this last year and a half is paying for Trump’s profit margin.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “We are done picking up his tab.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “on the SAVE Act, it is a new week in Washington,”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “but one thing remains the same:”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Trump keeps tiring himself out running the same play.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Trump knows he can’t defend Republicans’ abysmal record--his abysmal record-- so he whines to the GOP to pass the SAVE Act to disenfranchise voters who want to hold him accountable in November.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Give it up, Donald.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Republican problems aren’t going to go away until Trump realizes how futile this brazen effort to rig our elections really is.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “That is Trump.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “It is not Democrats doing that.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Donald, I keep trying to remind you, the last time you bragged about shutting down the government--back when Nancy Pelosi was in charge then--didn’t go so well for you, did it?”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “And it definitely won’t now.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “I yield the floor.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “I suggest the absence of a quorum.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · no score

Not applicable: nothing to answer. Excluded from the average.

Relevance checks whether the speaker stays on topic and answers the question asked. A low score means the speaker dodged the issue.

Respect · no score

Not checked: graded before this measurement existed. Excluded from the average.

Respect checks whether the speaker argued with people’s positions and records rather than attacking the people: insults, mockery, or bad motives assigned to them. Criticism of what someone did, however strong, is not marked.

Clarity · 90

4 of 36 deductions are Clarity

Clarity checks for plain speaking, clear ownership of actions, and honest limits on certainty. A low score means vague promises or evasive language.

Something stated as certain with nothing to back it.What the tags mean “Michiganders and Americans know”Asserts what people know as a formula in place of a source.
Something stated as certain with nothing to back it.What the tags mean “Everywhere you look”A rhetorical formula asserting certainty without any source.
A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “Our work to expose and stop Trump’s grift continues”Open-ended commitment with no measure or success condition.
A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “advancing reforms to stop further corruption”Commitment with no specific reform, date, or success condition.

Claims · 9

This list shows the factual statements you can check for yourself: the words as said, and the claim restated to stand on its own.

1“$4.23 for a gallon of gas”Gas in Michigan costs $4.23 per gallon.search
2“whopping 50 percent tariff he just slapped on Canada”The Trump administration recently imposed a 50 percent tariff on Canada.search
3“the 75,000 American manufacturing jobs he has lost in his second term”The U.S. has lost 75,000 manufacturing jobs during Trump’s second term.search
4“a report detailing how the Trump family has defrauded the American people to the tune of more than $4 billion in the past 18 months”Senate Democrats released a report claiming the Trump family has defrauded the American people of more than $4 billion in the past 18 months.search
5“Republicans vote against my legislation to prevent Trump from wasting further taxpayer dollars on upgrades for his $400 million luxury jet”Republicans voted against Schumer’s legislation regarding taxpayer-funded upgrades to Trump’s $400 million luxury jet.search
6“The courts have rejected the SAVE Act.”Courts have rejected the SAVE Act.search
7“Congress rejected the SAVE Act.”Congress has rejected the SAVE Act.search
8“Even members of Trump’s own party have rejected the SAVE Act.”Some Republican members of Congress have voted against the SAVE Act.search
9“Trump has said publicly that ``Republicans have to pass SAVE . . . otherwise we are going to have a shutdown in November.’’”Trump publicly said, ‘Republicans have to pass SAVE . . . otherwise we are going to have a shutdown in November.’search

Analyzed on 2026-09-15