While cameras rolled, President Trump sparred with Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi over border wall funding during an explosive meeting at the White House Tuesday. The verbal combat ended with Trump declaring that he would be “proud” to shut down the government if it results in funding for a U.S.-Mexico border wall.
Pelosi and Schumer reportedly planned to offer Trump a deal to pass appropriations bills for six agencies, along with a measure to keep DHS funding at current levels for a year.
“If we don’t have border security, we’ll shut down the government,” Trump told the Democrats, who didn’t seem pleased to be debating the issue in public.
Trump began the meeting by repeatedly telling Pelosi that Republicans were limited in what they can do because they need Democratic support to pass anything through the Senate.
When Schumer claimed the Senate could pass measures to keep the government running regardless, the president shot back, “If it’s not good [on] border security, I won’t take it.”
Trump declared that he’s “proud to shut down the government for border security” and will “take the mantle,” after which Pelosi groused that “this has spiraled downwards.”
The meeting broke up roughly a half-hour after the cameras stopped rolling. The very-public discord leaves unclear whether the two sides can come to an agreement to keep the government running before a looming Dec. 21 deadline.
Pelosi, speaking to reporters afterwards, claimed they left things “in a pretty good place.” But the White House put out a statement after the meeting saying “major disagreement remains on the issue of border security and transparency,” despite their “constructive dialogue.”
Schumer and Pelosi put out a terse post-meeting statement: “We gave the president two options that would keep the government open. It’s his choice to accept one of those options or shut the government down.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump threatened to have the military “build the remaining sections” of the wall if Congress doesn’t deliver the funding.
….People do not yet realize how much of the Wall, including really effective renovation, has already been built. If the Democrats do not give us the votes to secure our Country, the Military will build the remaining sections of the Wall. They know how important it is!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 11, 2018
At one point during the discussion, Pelosi said, “I don’t think we should have a debate in front of the press.” Schumer later pleaded: “Let’s debate in private.”
Trump and Schumer also exchanged zingers over recent midterm elections.
“Elections have consequences, Mr. President,” Schumer said.
“And that’s why the country is doing so well,” the president shot back.
Schumer jabbed Trump over boasting that Republicans kept control of the Senate.
“When a president brags that he’s won Indiana and North Dakota, he’s in real trouble,” Schumer said.
“We did!” Trump replied. “We did win.”
Vice President Mike Pence, who was also in attendance, sat stoically throughout the spat.
Mike Pence stayed silent and looked uncomfortable during an extraordinary public meeting on Trump's border wall https://t.co/LLY8VQtZyr
— Business Insider (@businessinsider) December 11, 2018
When Schumer accused Trump of wanting to shut down the government, Trump replied, “Yes. If we don’t get what we want one way or the other, whether it’s through you, through military, through anything you want … I will shut down the government.”
“Fair enough,” Schumer replied. “We disagree.”
After the meeting, Schumer accused the president of throwing a “temper tantrum.”
“This temper tantrum that he seems to throw will not get him his wall, and it’ll hurt a lot of people, because he will cause a shutdown,” Schumer told reporters outside the West Wing.
On Monday, Pelosi and Schumer put out a joint statement arguing that Trump and his party will own a government shutdown if they can’t make a deal.
“Republicans still control the House, the Senate and the White House, and they have the power to keep government open,” they said. “Our country cannot afford a Trump Shutdown,” the Democrats said, adding that Trump “knows full well that his wall proposal does not have the votes to pass the House and Senate and should not be an obstacle to a bipartisan agreement.”
After the meeting, President Trump retweeted two White house tweets about the border wall:
Democrats have made it clear that they would rather keep the U.S. border open to illegal immigrants than keep the government open to serve American citizens.
Enough is enough. It's time to make a deal for real border security.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 11, 2018
Building walls at sections of the border in San Diego, El Paso, Tucson, and Yuma caused illegal traffic to drop by 90% or more in the years that followed.
Numbers talk. Walls work.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 11, 2018
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