Trump met with Pelosi, the Democrat House leader, and Schumer, Democrat Senate leader, for a discussion on his planned border wall with MexicoIt ended with Trump threatening to shut down the government if he isn’t given the funding for his wall
US President Donald Trump clashed on live television with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday over funding for the border wall, in an explosive Oval Office encounter that ended with Trump declaring he’d be proud to shut down the government to get what he wants.
The stunning public spat, during which Schumer accused the president of throwing a “temper tantrum,” ended with no resolution and appeared to increase the chances of a partial government shutdown at the end of next week.
The three leaders pointed fingers, raised their voices and interrupted each other repeatedly as they fought over policy and politics.
Schumer lectured Trump that “Elections have consequences, Mr President.”
Trump claimed that, because she is working to nail down the votes to become speaker, “Nancy’s in a situation where it’s not easy for her to talk right now.”
Pelosi answered: “Please don’t characterise the strength that I bring to this meeting.”
It was the first encounter among the three leaders in more than a year, and if it offered a taste of politics in Washington next year when Democrats control the House, the Capitol is in for a rough ride.
Pelosi repeatedly asked the president to take the encounter off-camera but it continued for nearly 20 rancorous minutes before Trump ejected the media.
But even in private, it appeared little was resolved, although Pelosi told reporters later that she began with a prayer about King Solomon.
