President Donald Trump abruptly canceled his meeting with top Democratic leaders that had been planned for Thursday to search for a deal that might avert a partial government shutdown next week.
Less than 24 hours after agreeing to sit down with Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., the president reversed course, saying there was nothing to discuss until Democrats abandon their demands for massive spending and other “radical” policies.
“After reviewing the details of the unserious and ridiculous demands being made by the Minority Radical Left Democrats in return for their Votes to keep our thriving Country open, I have decided that no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social media platform.
Scratching the meeting increases the likelihood that a partial shutdown will be triggered when the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1. The Senate rejected a House-passed continuing resolution last week as well as a Democratic alternative that sought to extend expiring health insurance subsidies.
Jeffries and Schumer took turns throwing a bit of shade at their fellow New Yorker after Trump canceled their meeting.
Jeffries used the newly-minted “TACO” phrase Trump’s critics have coined in a post on the social platform X: “Trump Always Chickens Out.”
“Trump is running away from the negotiating table before he even gets there,” Schumer said in a statement. “While Americans face rising costs and a Republican healthcare crisis, Trump would rather throw a tantrum than do his job.”
House Republicans have frowned on opening talks with Democrats after they passed a seven-week funding extension last week in a party-line vote. In hopes of increasing pressure on the Senate to pass that measure, House leaders canceled the two days they were scheduled to be in session next week before the Sept. 30 deadline, when current funding is set to expire.
Before news of the meeting’s cancellation broke, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters that he would attend the White House session if it occurs. “But I’m not certain that the meeting is necessary,” he said.
In announcing his sudden reversal, Trump railed against Democrats for pushing “over $1 trillion in new spending” for health care, opening the country’s borders to undocumented migrants and “essentially create Transgender operations for everybody.”
“To the Leaders of the Democrat Party, the ball is in your court,” Trump wrote. “I look forward to meeting with you when you become realistic about the things that our Country stands for. DO THE RIGHT THING!”
John T. Bennett contributed to this report.
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