Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) defended his decision to stiff-arm left-wing lawmakers and join Republicans to pass a six-month government funding bill last week, claiming a partial shutdown would have wrought “devastation like we’ve never seen.”

Schumer told the hosts of ABC News’ “The View” Tuesday that he “knew it was a difficult choice” to vote to end debate on the so-called “continuing resolution” Friday, but added that “I felt as a leader I had to do it.”

“What were you thinking and why?” co-host Whoopi Goldberg fumed.

“Some of the progressive members of your caucus, the House caucus, are not with you,” noted former Trump White House aide and current co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, who also asked whether Schumer should “step aside” like former President Joe Biden during the 2024 campaign.

“We have a lot of really strong talent in the Senate, in the House, in the governors. We have a great bench,” Schumer acknowledged.

“But as for the Senate caucus, of which I’m the leader — I should be the leader,” he emphasized.

“You mentioned, you know, this is what a leader does,” butted in host Sara Haines. “We aren’t seeing a clear leader of the party, because even though I agree with you, with your decision, and I see why — but you were only able to get nine Democrats to go with you.”

“How is that leadership?” she asked.

“The bottom line is there were a whole lot of Democrats who were torn,” Schumer divulged, adding later: “No one fights more than me.”

“The fight going on in the Democratic Party right now is not between hard-left, right, and moderate,” host Sunny Hostin pushed back, making use of a recent statement from an aide to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

“It’s between those who want to fight and those who want to cave, and it gives me no pleasure to say this to you because we are friends, but I think you caved.”

“Sonny, no one wants to fight more than me — and no one fights more than me,” Schumer shot back.

“That bill,” he added. “It was bad. I hated it, but it does far less damage [than a shutdown].”

“We’re going to fight, we’re going to fight them on tariffs, we’re going to fight them on Social Security,” Schumer insisted Tuesday. “We’re going to stick it to them and fight hard.”

Had the federal government ceased all operations at 11:59 p.m. Friday, the Brooklyn Democrat claimed, the Trump administration — in the persons of tech billionaire Elon Musk and Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought — could have “cut off anything they want” by simply claiming benefit programs like Medicaid and Social Security aren’t “essential.”

Typically, payments for entitlements such as Medicaid and Medicare are still sent out to recipients during a federal shutdown, as are Social Security checks.

According to Schumer, a Republican senator had told a Democratic colleague during negotiations that preceded the continuing resolution that the White House’s plans for a shutdown were to “decimate” the federal government.

House Republicans have also deputized one of their committees that oversees Medicaid and other benefits to cut $880 billion in federal spending this year.

“This is a different, horrible kettle of fish. They hate the government,” Schumer said, adding that Trump was “trolling me” by thanking the Senate Democratic leader for avoiding the shutdown.

Schumer’s move led to rumors of a coming primary challenge from “Squad” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who urged Schumer to make use of the filibuster — which Dems had considered abolishing under former President Joe Biden — to block the Republicans’ funding bill.

However, Schumer is not up for re-election until 2028.

“One of the things I am known to be very good at is how to win Senate seats,” he said defending his record, adding: “I’m sort of the orchestra leader and I have a lot of talent in that orchestra. So what I do is I show them off.”

In a possible guide to who Schumer may wish to succeed him, the senator praised Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) as “great spokespeople” against Trump.

The ABC hosts, meanwhile, pointed to Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) as representative of where the party’s messaging was strongest — while also noting House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) refused to respond to a reporter last week who asked if he lost trust in Schumer over the vote.

Schumer, 74, appeared on “The View” to tout his new book “Antisemitism in America: A Warning,” just one day after postponing tour appearances due to “security” concerns amid a planned protest by lefty groups.