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Sen. Chuck Schumer says he's had "serious discussions" with Sen. Bob Menendez about federal charges

Sen. Chuck Schumer says he's had "serious discussions" with Sen. Bob Menendez
Sen. Chuck Schumer says he's had "serious discussions" with Sen. Bob Menendez 00:57

NEW YORK -- In a CBS Mornings interview about Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's trip to Israel, the conversation shifted to why he hasn't called on Sen. Bob Menendez to step down.

"What would it take to move you toward a position of saying, 'You know what, Senator Menendez, please step away'?" CBS Mornings' Tony Dokoupil asked.

"Look, as I've said before, the Senate should have certain standards, and if you read the indictment, Senator Menendez has gone way, way below those standards," Schumer said.

Watch the full interview

Schumer says Israel must live to a "higher standard" in war with Hamas 06:28

"Why wouldn't you just say, you know what, Bob, I think of you as a colleague and a friend, but now is the time, you got to go. I'm just curious about what your hesitation is," CBS Mornings' Gayle King said.

"I've had, I've had some serious discussions with him," Schumer said.

"Which are ongoing?" Dokoupil asked.

"As I said, I've had some serious discussions with him, yes," Schumer said.

"OK, you clearly don't want to discuss it," King said.

Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, is facing charges including conspiring to act as a foreign agent for Egypt.

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