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Schumer Ripped for NFL Boast Amid Terror Attack Remarks

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, (D-NY), is in hot water after cheering for his home team while delivering remarks about a deadly terrorist attack in Australia.

Schumer, who is Jewish himself, made the “tone deaf” comments about a New York NFL team while addressing the Bondi Beach Chanukah event shooting during brief public remarks on Sunday.

While acknowledging the mass shooting overseas, he quickly gave a shout-out to the Buffalo Bills for their 35-31 victory over the New England Patriots, drawing a wave of criticism from commentators and fellow lawmakers.

“I’m going to say a few words about the terrible shooting in Sydney, Australia. And first, of course, as I always say — go Bills. They beat the Patriots today. It’s a big deal,” Schumer said, referencing the early Sunday afternoon game.

The remarks spread rapidly across social media platforms, where critics argued the sequencing of Schumer’s comments appeared dismissive of the deadly attack, which had targeted members of the Jewish community during a religious celebration.

Some commentators clarified that the true “big deal” was the loss of life in Australia, not the football result Schumer referenced. Others accused the longtime senator of demonstrating poor judgment at a moment requiring gravity.

Rep. Mike Lawler, R N.Y., a fellow New York lawmaker, reposted video of Schumer’s comments on X and offered a blunt response. “Retire. Immediately,” Lawler wrote.

Conservative commentator Jesse Kelly questioned Schumer’s humanity. “Just a complete lizard person,” Kelly tweeted. “Stopped being human a long time ago.”

The backlash came amid global mourning following the Dec. 14 attack at the annual “Chanukah by the Sea” event held at Bondi Beach in Sydney.

Members of the Jewish community had gathered to light the first candle of the menorah when two gunmen opened fire.

Officials with the New South Wales Police Force said 16 people were killed in the shooting, including one of the suspected attackers. The second alleged gunman was reported to be in critical condition.

The attack drew widespread condemnation and emotional reactions from public figures across entertainment, sports, and politics, many of whom focused on the antisemitic nature of the violence.

Israeli actress Gal Gadot shared a lengthy response on Instagram reflecting on the loss of life and the significance of the attack occurring during a religious observance.

“My heart is shattered,” Gadot wrote. “Following the anti-Semitic terror attack in Bondi Beach, Australia, the grief is immense. Fifteen innocent souls – including a Holocaust survivor, a rabbi and a child – were senselessly murdered while celebrating the first night of Chanukah, the Festival of Light.”

“This darkness deliberately struck at a sacred moment of community and hope. It is easy to feel defeated,” she continued. “But let us be clear: our strength is not in despair, but in the light we fiercely choose to create in this terrible void.”

Gadot urged public solidarity, writing, “We must honor the victims not with silence, but by demanding a world where every life is safe, and by choosing empathy and unity above all else.”

She concluded her message by encouraging action rooted in hope. “Send light into the darkness,” Gadot penned.

“Let’s make sure love is the loudest voice. I will light my Chanukah candle tonight in their honor and for a world of light. Only light.”

Actor Ashton Kutcher also responded to the attack, pointing to what he described as the real world consequences of hateful rhetoric.

“Antisemitic rhetoric is not abstract—it carries a cost, and my brothers and sisters continue to pay it,” Kutcher wrote on X.

“May this devastation somehow spark a hidden miracle, one our eyes do not yet have the merit to see.”

Australian actress Rebel Wilson shared her reaction on Instagram Stories after learning of the shooting.

“Just waking up to the news about what’s happened on Bondi Beach,” Wilson wrote. “An absolute tragedy that is the most un-Australian thing to have happen.”

“We shouldn’t have gun violence in Australia, we shouldn’t have antisemitism – it’s not us! Thinking of everyone affected by this devastating violence.”

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy addressed the shooting during an appearance on “The Sunday Briefing,” stating that such attacks no longer come as a surprise given rising antisemitism.

“I wish I could say I’m shocked or surprised, but attacks like these seem borderline inevitable with what’s going on in the world,” Portnoy remarked.

“It’s tragic, and it’s sad, but not surprising. And that in itself is probably the saddest part of it — that I’m not surprised.”

Portnoy criticized what he described as antisemitic views gaining mainstream acceptance online.

“There are online bloggers, people who are openly saying radically antisemitic stuff and being accepted as part of the mainstream,” he noted. “So does this shock me? No, it’s inevitable.”

He also pointed to political leadership, criticizing New York City Mayor elect Zohran Mamdani for declining to condemn certain rhetoric tied to the Israel Hamas war.

“You have a … mayor now in New York City who refuses to say that globalizing the [intifada] is bad,” Portnoy said.

Portnoy spoke about personal experiences with harassment, saying he now receives dozens of hostile messages daily.

“But you know, you gotta be loud, and you gotta kind of be proud,” he said. “They may want to make it seem like Jews are the problem. No, no, no. We’re not the problem.”

He added that many Jewish Americans feel pressure to stay silent. “To be honest, for a lot of Jews, I think the easier thing to do is just be quiet and not put yourself in the scrutiny of the public eye,” Portnoy said.

The controversy surrounding Schumer’s remarks unfolded as the Buffalo Bills were traveling to Providence, Rhode Island, near the site of a separate deadly shooting at Brown University that killed two people and injured nine.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen said some players were dining nearby when team security notified them of the developing situation.

“Very, very scary situation,” Allen said. “Obviously, condolences to the families and prayers are out to everyone that was involved and affected by it. It’s a terrible thing.”

Bills head coach Sean McDermott echoed those sentiments, offering “prayers, thoughts, sympathies” on behalf of the team.

“There’s things in life that are bigger than football,” McDermott said.

The New England Patriots organization also addressed the Brown University shooting, stating the team was “heartbroken” and extending sympathies to those affected.

Gillette Stadium, the Patriots organization’s home, is just 25 miles away from Brown University.

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