Sen. Charles Schumer says Vice President Kamala Harris is handling herself “extremely well” in her White House bid.

In an exclusive interview Monday with Spectrum News, the Senate majority leader said he believes Harris is standing up to former President Donald Trump in the “right way” as she seeks to deny him a return to the Oval Office.

“Strong but not strident,” he said.

He also praised Harris and her campaign for both touting Democratic accomplishments while speaking about the future.

“It’s three prongs. And I think all three are integrated very well together,” he said.

Schumer said he speaks to the Democratic nominee “fairly often.”

In addition to the presidential race, this November, Schumer is also seeking to maintain Democratic control of the Senate.

Democrats face a tough electoral map, as they look to defend seats in the Republican-dominated states of Ohio and Montana. Sabato’s Crystal Ball, which rates elections across the country, recently updated its rating of the Montana race from “toss-up” to “lean Republican.”

Ever the optimist, Schumer said, “I think we're doing real well in all of them, and I hope we might pick up a seat or two,” referencing contests in Florida and Texas.

Schumer sat down with Spectrum News in Corning, New York, before returning to Washington following the August recess.

In a recent letter to his Senate colleagues, Schumer pointed to several legislative goals for the weeks ahead, including rail safety legislation inspired by the freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio last year.

Schumer said he “still waiting” for Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, now the GOP vice presidential nominee and the sponsor of the legislation, to provide him with a list of 10 Republicans who will support the bill so it can pass Senate.

“A lot of the Republicans are listening to the railroad industry. We have said – and Vance and Sherrod agreed to this – two train men on a train. But a lot of the Republican leadership’s against it. That’s I think what’s stymied the bill,” he said.

Schumer's maneuver is essentially a challenge to Vance to prove he has the juice to get the bill across the finish line - an attempt to put the first-term Republican on the spot as he runs for vice president.

Will the bill get done? “If he could get 10 Republicans, it would be great,” Schumer said.