President Donald Trump publicly humiliated Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi for bailing on a meeting at the White House to discuss end of the year budget issues.
The president made his remarks after Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi nixed a meeting at the White House with Republicans to make an end of the year spending bill deal.
“They decided not to show up, they’ve been all talk and no action,” Trump said.
He told reporters that he would blame Democrats if the government shut down if they failed to reach an agreement.
“I would absolutely blame Democrats if that happens,” he said. “If that happens, it’s going to be over illegals pouring into the country, crime pouring into the country, no border wall which everybody wants. I got elected partially because of a border wall.”
Trump spoke reporters after the meeting with House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, but made sure he left the seats reserved for Pelosi and Schumer empty, with their name tags still in place.
Democrats complained they were disappointed by the president’s statement on Twitter suggesting that it would be difficult to reach a deal with Democrats, prompting them to cancel the meeting.
“If the President reverses course and decides he wants to be a constructive force…we’re happy to meet with him anytime, anywhere, anyplace,” Schumer told reporters on Tuesday.
McConnell and Ryan, however, attended the meeting anyway, urging their Democratic colleagues to join.
Trump said that he had “somewhat of a lovefest” meeting with Republican leaders about the issues facing Congress at the end of the year.
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