Trump storms out of shutdown talks with Dems, calls it ‘total waste of time’
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The latest negotiations towards ending the government shutdown crashed and burned Wednesday as President Trump stormed out of a White House meeting with congressional leaders— and again raised the specter of declaring a national emergency to fund a border wall.
The 3 p.m. huddle began with Trump passing out candy, reportedly including Baby Ruth bars and Skittles, to lawmakers.
But it quickly hit a sour note when House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) refused to promise that the wall along the border with Mexico would be funded if Republicans agreed to end the partial government shutdown, which enters its 20th day on Thursday.
“Just left a meeting with Chuck [Schumer] and Nancy, a total waste of time,” Trump tweeted minutes after the blown-up sit-down. “I asked what is going to happen in 30 days if I quickly open things up, are you going to approve Border Security which includes a Wall or Steel Barrier?”
“Nancy said, NO,” Trump continued. “I said bye-bye, nothing else works!”
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle who were present confirmed the basic narrative of the aborted meeting, but disagreed in their characterizations of the tone.
“He couldn’t get his way and he just walked out of the meeting,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). “[Trump] sort of slammed the table … He just walked out and said, ‘We have nothing to discuss.’”
Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), the Minority Whip, denied that Trump slammed a table, describing him as “calm.”
The fiery gathering capped a snowy Washington, D.C. day in which neither party yielded any ground — though Trump again teased his willingness to force the issue by declaring a national emergency.
“I think we might work a deal, and if we don’t, I may go that route,” he said, referring to an emergency declaration to fund the wall.
“I have the absolute right to do [a] national emergency if I want.”
“My threshold will be if I can’t make a deal with people that are unreasonable.”
Trump revived the possibility of the emergency declaration in Oval Office remarks made hours before the latest tempestuous attempt at brokering a deal .
Trump emerged from a Capitol Hill luncheon with Republican senators confident that party lawmakers were in “solidarity.,”
But cracks appeared to be forming Wednesday.
“I don’t think [shutdowns] are a good way to govern,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska ), one of three Republican senators to publicly call for the closure’s end, along with Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, and Cory Gardner of Colorado.
“I think we have a sense of urgency going on right now as we approach Friday,” the day on which federal workers are supposed to be paid.
Before departing for that rallying luncheon, Trump verbally sparred with an ABC News reporter who questioned why the president refused to sign a spending bill then continue to haggle over border security.
“Do you think I should sign?” Trump repeatedly asked the journalist. “Would you do that in my position?”
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