Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, praised President Donald Trump on Monday for “a long overdue” accomplishment of moving the United States embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
“In a long overdue move, we have moved our embassy to Jerusalem. Every nation should have the right to choose its capital,” Schumer said in a statement shortly after the embassy’s opening.
According to ijr.com:
Schumer, an often outspoke critic of the president, praised Trump for keeping one of his major campaign promises. “I sponsored legislation to do this two decades ago, and I applaud President Trump for doing it,” the New York senator wrote.
In 2017, Schumer linked-up with Republican Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to advocate for moving America’s Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
“Fifty years later, now is finally time to recognize Jerusalem as the one eternal and indivisible capital,” Cruz said. “I believe it is long past time to move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, where it belongs.”
While the Democratic leader in the Senate has not held back in calling out the president when he disagrees with the administration, he’s also praised the president multiple times since Trump has taken office.
“Let me say unequivocally: President Trump and his administration made the right decision on blocking Broadcom from taking over Qualcomm,” Schumer said on the Senate floor back in March after the president blocked Broadcom’s $117 billion acquisition of Qualcomm.
In wake of the Parkland mass shooting, the New York senator also commended Trump for holding a bipartisan meeting with lawmakers on gun safety measures.
“I want to commend the president for going far beyond the Fix NICS bill,” the Democratic leader said in a statement. “The president’s comments indicate that he supports universal background checks and even possibly an assault weapons ban.”
Schumer isn’t the only senator congratulating Trump on moving the U.S. embassy. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who traveled to Jerusalem for the embassy’s opening on Monday, said it was Trump’s leadership that made Monday’s historic opening possible.
“For over 20 years, it has been American policy to recognize Jerusalem as the capital, but it wasn’t until today – and the leadership of President @realDonaldTrump – that we had an embassy in Jerusalem,” Graham tweeted.”
