“Bye bye, Chuck”: Rosie O’Donnell Backs Calls to Replace Senate Democratic Leader

Rosie O’Donnell added her voice to a growing push for new leadership in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, posting a short but direct message on Threads: “Bye bye, Chuck.” The comment came one day after Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate in the midterm elections, a result that has intensified questions about whether Chuck Schumer should remain the party’s Senate leader.

O’Donnell’s post was a reply to a Threads update that read, “Schumer has got to be out of leadership.” The actress, comedian, and longtime political commentator did not add more words. The two-word reply was enough to place her alongside progressive groups, newly elected senators, and other public figures who are openly asking Senate Democrats to choose someone else for the top job.

The timing matters. Schumer, 75, has led Senate Democrats since 2017 and has said publicly that he expects to be re-elected as majority leader when the caucus votes in December. The midterm results gave Democrats a majority, but they also brought a fresh group of senators into Washington who campaigned on change and have refused to commit to Schumer’s leadership.

Rosie O’Donnell’s Message on Threads

O’Donnell’s “Bye bye, Chuck” comment landed on Threads, the text-based social platform owned by Meta. The post she replied to did not come from a senator or a party official. It came from another user who wrote plainly that Schumer needed to leave leadership. O’Donnell’s reply turned that sentiment into a headline.

The post is consistent with O’Donnell’s recent political activity. She has been an outspoken critic of Donald Trump for years and moved to Ireland with her family after the 2024 election. She returned to the New York stage in 2026 with a one-woman show and has stayed active on social media, commenting on American politics from abroad.

Her Threads comment followed a separate celebration of the midterm results. In a video shared online, O’Donnell said the outcome sent a clear message to Trump. She thanked voters for turning out and described the Democratic sweep as a rejection of the previous administration’s direction. The “Bye bye, Chuck” post narrowed that broader political commentary to one specific question: who should lead Senate Democrats now that they have the majority.

Ben McKenzie Says ‘It’s Time for a Change’

Ben McKenzie, the actor known for his roles in The O.C. and Gotham and a frequent commentator on money in politics, replied to the same Threads conversation. His message was longer than O’Donnell’s but carried the same point.

“This is leadership. I respect Schumer’s service, but it’s clear he can’t meet the moment. It’s time for a change.”

McKenzie’s comment reflects a argument that has moved from progressive activist circles into the mainstream of Democratic Party conversation. The argument is not that Schumer has done nothing. It is that the political moment — with Democrats holding both chambers and facing a Republican president — requires a different kind of leader.

The actor’s involvement matters because it shows the conversation is not limited to Washington insiders. Celebrities with large followings are amplifying the same message that Indivisible, a progressive grassroots group, published in a formal statement on Wednesday.

Why the Push Against Schumer Is Growing

Indivisible called on Senate Democrats to replace Schumer as majority leader after the party secured control of Congress. The group cited Schumer’s approval numbers and argued that voters wanted a new generation of leadership.

“Yesterday, voters made it very clear that they want a new generation of Democratic fighters. We need a leader in the Senate who is capable of leading that fight. It’s time for Senate Democrats to choose new leadership.”

An NBC News poll conducted at the end of October found that only 13 percent of registered voters viewed Schumer’s leadership positively. That number is central to the case against him. Democrats won a major victory on Tuesday, but Schumer’s personal standing with voters remained low going into the election.

The group also pushed back against the idea that winning the majority should automatically mean keeping the same leader.

“The American people did not elect Democrats by historic margins just to bend the knee and go back to business as usual. Senate Democrats need to listen to the voters and turn the page on status quo politics.”

Schumer’s defenders have a different view. Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said before the election that delivering a Democratic Senate justified another term as leader. That argument — that winning is the job, and Schumer won — remains the strongest case for keeping him.

New Senators Refuse to Back Schumer

The most concrete pressure on Schumer comes from the senators who will join the Democratic caucus in January. Several of them have said publicly that they will not support him for majority leader.

Peggy Flanagan, the newly elected senator from Minnesota, thanked Schumer for his service but said the party needs a change.

“I am tremendously grateful for Chuck Schumer’s leadership … and I think it is time for new leadership.”

Flanagan told reporters that her victory and the victories of other new senators were part of “a new movement” in the country. She pointed out that many of the newly elected Democrats refused corporate PAC money and ran on bold change.

Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan has gone further. He endorsed Chris Van Hollen for majority leader months before the election and introduced Van Hollen at a campaign rally as the “next Senate majority leader.” After his win, El-Sayed declined to commit to Schumer during an appearance on NBC News’ TODAY.

“We need action and we need leadership toward that action. And I’m interested to see, working with the rest of our caucus, what options we have got.”

Troy Jackson of Maine has raised doubts about Schumer’s ability to reconnect Democrats with working-class voters. Juliana Stratton of Illinois and Adam Hamilton of Kansas declined to pledge support for Schumer’s re-election as leader. James Talarico of Texas told Punchbowl News that the party needs “new blood” in Washington. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire said he wanted “new voices in leadership.”

The list is not unanimous, and several new senators have stayed quiet. The public refusals are enough to force a real conversation inside the caucus.

Schumer Says He Will Be Re-Elected

Schumer has not wavered publicly. Speaking at a campaign event before the midterms, he said the leadership question was not about him.

“The issue is not me. I’ll be re-elected as majority leader. But the issue is focusing on the American people and what they want.”

He repeated that confidence to reporters after the results came in. Schumer argued that Democrats should focus on ending wars, investigating what he called “rampant corruption,” and bringing down the cost of living. He said those goals could be pursued with or without the president’s help.

During a Wednesday morning press conference, Schumer described the Democratic wins as a “generational remake of the Senate map.” He said voters entrusted Democrats with the majority to do what the American people want, not to do whatever the party wants.

“Many of the folks who voted for us yesterday, of course, are still skeptical. That’s okay. These voters did not give us the majority, so we can do whatever we want. They entrusted us with the majority to do what they, the American people, want.”

Schumer also said the days of Republicans using Trump’s 2024 win as a “mandate” were over. He framed the midterm result as a check on presidential power and said the responsibility now falls on Democrats to prove voters right.

No senator has announced a formal challenge to Schumer. The leadership election is scheduled for December, before the new Democratic-majority Congress takes office in January.

The Names Being Mentioned as Replacements

Four Democratic senators are most often mentioned as possible alternatives: Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, and Cory Booker of New Jersey.

Prediction market Kalshi gave Schumer a 79 percent chance of keeping the job before the election, with Schatz at 13 percent, Murphy at 6.9 percent, Van Hollen at 4 percent, and Booker at 2 percent. Those figures came from trading contracts, not a poll of senators.

Schatz has said he wants to replace retiring Illinois Senator Dick Durbin as the party’s No. 2 in the chamber, which suggests he is not currently running for the top job. Murphy has been among the loudest Democratic voices calling for a sharper economic message and a more aggressive response to Trump. He was hospitalized after a stroke on Saturday but is expected to make a full recovery.

Van Hollen has the most public support from a newly elected senator. He has run both the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, giving him fundraising experience in both chambers. He has also been critical of U.S. policy toward Israel’s war in Gaza and has pushed progressive positions on economic inequality.

Booker, a former presidential candidate, has a national profile but has not publicly campaigned for the leadership post.

Van Hollen has not declared a run. He has, however, made clear that he wants a debate about direction before anyone locks in support for Schumer.

“No one should be committing to anybody as the next Democratic leader without having that conversation. We need commitments.”

He told Bloomberg that the election results reflected voters’ desire to protect democracy and their economic interests, not a coordinated strategy from Washington. He called for a “bold kitchen table agenda” and said it was not a time for incrementalism.

The December Leadership Vote

The Senate Democratic caucus will hold its leadership election in December, ahead of the new Congress in January. Schumer needs a majority vote of the caucus to become majority leader. He has held the top spot since 2017 and has never faced a serious internal challenge.

The vote is by secret ballot, and no senator has publicly announced a campaign against him. The pressure is coming from outside the formal process — from newly elected senators who won in swing states, from progressive groups, and from celebrities like O’Donnell who can reach audiences that political press releases do not.

O’Donnell’s “Bye bye, Chuck” post is not a vote. It is a signal. It shows that the conversation about Schumer’s future has moved beyond op-eds and activist newsletters into the same social media feeds where millions of people follow actors, athletes, and comedians. Whether that signal changes any senator’s vote in December is a question only the caucus can answer.

Also Read: Rosie O’Donnell Says “We Gave a Loud and Very Clear Message to Trump” After Democrats Win House and Senate: Recap and Breakdown/

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