Washington —

As eight senators in Chuck Schumer’s caucus broke ranks to side with Republicans and vote to end the government shutdown fight he had engineered, the New York Democrat was on the phone trying to make it clear it wasn’t his fault.

Dialing governors and influential party leaders, Schumer had a basic request: attack Republicans over rising health care costs, not Senate Democrats or him. Schumer knew he’d have to rebut accusations that he secretly guided the deal, while others would see him as not being able to control his caucus.

He’d kept Senate Democrats united longer than they wanted to be, Schumer said in the calls, even as he’d been trying to keep the shutdown going until Thanksgiving. According to people familiar with his request, he wanted public backup for his strategy.

Some of those Schumer called told him no. Some just didn’t do it.

Coming out of the nation’s longest shutdown, the Senate minority leader is more vulnerable than he’s ever been, both on Capitol Hill and back home in New York, and is facing serious doubts about whether he can drive opposition to President Donald Trump.

Few believe Schumer, who turns 75 this month, will run for a sixth term in 2028 — and they say he could go down in a primary challenge if he tries, with some contenders already quietly preparing to run. And inside the Senate Democratic ranks, Schumer is facing more grumbling than he ever has, not unlike past House and Senate leaders in their final years on the job.

CNN’s interviews with two dozen top Democrats in Congress and in New York revealed grimaces and sighs amid a reluctance to speak on the record about Schumer. Many expressed sympathy for him and said they don’t want to fuel further infighting as Democrats seek to refocus on challenging Trump.

But many