President Donald Trump openly disagreed with his top trade representative after Robert Lighthizer expressed confidence the House would vote on a proposed U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade pact even while Democrats conduct an impeachment inquiry.
“I don't know if Nancy Pelosi is going to have time to sign it,” Trump said of the speaker, according to a pool report. “I don't know whether or not [we] have time to do any deals.”
"I don't think they can do any deals,” Trump said of working with Democrats. “All they're talking about is nonsense."
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During a meeting with Japanese President Shinzo Abe, Lighthizer responded to a question asking his forecast for the USMCA in the impeachment era by saying he is “confident it will pass.”
“It's possible they won't vote,” Trump shot back, the second time this week he has bickered lightly with a senior aide in public.
Earlier this week in New York, Trump went back-and-forth with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in public.
That came after Mnuchin interrupted the president to say U.S. officials asked Chinese officials to cancel a trip to several states to meet with American farmers when they arrive to resume trade negotiations.
