Ukrainian snipers competed in marksmanship with firearms.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker criticized Chuck Schumer and declined to express an opinion on whether he should continue leading the Democrats in the Senate amid the escalating internal party crisis over strategy during Trump's second presidency.

Schumer joined Republicans in the vote to avoid a government shutdown last week, which angered a large portion of the left - and led to calls for his resignation as leader of Senate Democrats - for failing to use his leverage in the budget fight against Donald Trump's presidential agenda.

Pritzker, a well-known governor and political figure from the Democratic Party, declined to publicly support Schumer when asked about the senator's future.

'Look, he's an elected leader,' Pritzker told reporters after a meeting at the Center for American Progress in Washington. 'I disagree with what he did, and I do so emphatically. But I also know that he has done a good job as Senate leader at other times.'

During the event, Pritzker praised Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth for her budget veto and did not mention the state's other senator, Dick Durbin, who voted alongside Schumer in favor of the budget measure.

However, he added, 'intra-party war in the Democratic Party helps no one,' indicating his hopes that Schumer will defend 'our common values.'

Pritzker's omission of Illinois' governor is particularly notable as New York's senator faces harsh criticism from groups aligned with the Democratic Party due to the budget vote distribution.

This is not the first Time Pritzker has criticized Schumer's strategy. Earlier this year, Pritzker and other Democratic governors urged Schumer to unite Senate Democrats against Trump. Schumer's decision to join Republicans in supporting the funding bill - despite nearly all House Democrats and most Senate Democrats opposing it - threatens to exacerbate divisions among Democratic leaders regarding party strategy in Trump's second presidency.

Center for American Progress Director Neera Tanden repeatedly referred to Pritzker as a 'fighter' in her introduction to the event. This event is the first in a series of important interviews with Democratic figures, typically conducted by the think tank between election campaigns, which serves as a precursor to influential personalities in the party.

'Governor Pritzker doesn't engage in debates with blabbermouths,' Tanden said, an experienced Democratic political consultant who recently returned to the Center for American Progress after working in the administration of former President Joe Biden.

This interview with the Illinois governor in Washington comes at a time when other presidential contenders are positioning themselves as new independent leaders of the Democratic Party. California Governor Gavin Newsom is reaching out to the MAGA base with a new podcast, while former vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz is touring red districts and holding meetings with locals in cities. (Walz also lashed out at Schumer's decision, stating in one of Newsom's podcast episodes that 'we lost our ground.')

However, most of Pritzker's criticism is aimed at Trump, with the governor referring to Elon Musk as 'President Musk,' which is a new attack in Democratic circles against the tech billionaire's efforts to reduce government spending. He also emphasizes his positions on raising revenue and other issues that are of interest to politically engaged audiences.

And he made a pointed critique of Republican members of Congress for their inability to stand up to Trump.

'Congress is dysfunctional, and it is so dysfunctional now because this administration is creating fear. They are concerned about getting a primary challenge within the party,' Pritzker stated.