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\u2019t given the funding for his wall<\/b>
\nUS 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\u2019d 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 \u201ctemper tantrum,\u201d 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 \u201cElections have consequences, Mr President.\u201d
Trump claimed that, because she is working to nail down the votes to become speaker, \u201cNancy\u2019s in a situation where it\u2019s not easy for her to talk right now.\u201d
Pelosi answered: \u201cPlease don\u2019t characterise the strength that I bring to this meeting.\u201d
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.
Pelosi and Schumer both implored Trump not to shutdown the government. Trump initially said he didn\u2019t want a shutdown either but in the end announced that he did.
\u201cI am proud to shut down the government for border security, Chuck,\u201d Trump said, insisting the public doesn\u2019t want criminals and \u201cpeople that have lots of problems, and lots of drugs\u201d coming into the country. \u201cI\u2019m going to shut it down for border security.\u201d
\u201cWe believe you shouldn\u2019t shut it down,\u201d Schumer said.
Trump wants US$5 billion for the wall in 2019 while Democrats are offering only US$1.3 billion \u2013 a gulf that showed no signs on Tuesday of getting bridged.
The meeting occurred several hours after House Republicans dug in on their demand for US$5 billion in support of Trump\u2019s stance.
\u201cOur position is the president\u2019s position,\u201d House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told reporters at a news conference. \u201cWe share the president\u2019s goal.\u2026 We need to secure the border.\u201d
Funding for the Homeland Security Department and a number of other agencies dries up December 21 unless Congress and Trump act first.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday urged Democrats to accommodate Trump\u2019s wall demands, warning lawmakers either needed to cooperate or \u201cprepare for a very, very long month\u201d.
\u201cFor the nation\u2019s sake, I hope that my Democratic friends are prepared to have a serious discussion and reach an accommodation with the president on funding for border security,\u201d he said in a speech on the Senate floor.
There were two brief government shutdowns earlier this year, one of them provoked by Senate Democrats over immigration.
The US$1.3 billion would extend current funding levels contained in the spending bill for the Homeland Security Department \u2013 which Democrats want to maintain at existing levels if no new deal can be reached.
If there is no agreement by the end of next week, funding will run out for the Homeland Security Department and other agencies including the Justice, Interior and Agriculture departments.
Those agencies, making up about 25 per cent of the federal government, are operating on a short-term spending bill Congress passed last week to move the shutdown deadline. The rest of the federal government, including the Pentagon, has already been funded through the 2019 budget year.
Earlier Tuesday, Trump expressed his desire for border wall funding across five meandering tweets.
He touted his administration\u2019s efforts to deter illegal border crossings, praising Border Patrol officers and the military for doing a \u201cFANTASTIC job\u201d and claiming that \u201cOur Southern Border is now Secure and will remain that way.\u201d
Yet Trump argued that the \u201cGreat Wall\u201d he repeatedly promised on the campaign trail would be \u201ca far easier & less expensive solution\u201d, and he accused Democrats of resisting his plans \u201cfor strictly political reasons\u201d.
Trump also threatened that if Democrats don\u2019t provide enough votes to build the wall, \u201cthe Military will build the remaining sections\u201d. He did not elaborate on how that would be funded.
Trump had long promised that Mexico would pay for the wall, but it\u2019s now on US taxpayers to foot the bill.
Democrats have argued that if there is a partial shutdown, Trump and Republicans will be to blame because of their political pursuit of a wall that doesn\u2019t meet genuine national security goals.<\/p>\n