Pelosi Trash-Talks Trump After Brief Meeting
Cathy Burke
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., derided President Donald Trump for being out of touch with working people after a brief meeting Wednesday that Trump dismissed as a "total waste of time."
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Pelosi said Trump did not understand the financial worries of many federal workers who will miss paychecks this Friday if the protracted partial government shutdown continues.
"Many federal workers will not be receiving their paychecks, and what that means in their lives is tragic . . . the president seems to be insensitive to that," Pelosi told reporters. "He thinks maybe they could just ask their father for more money. But they can't."
"If you don't understand financial insecurity, then you would have a policy that takes pride in saying 'I'm going to keep government shut down for months or years unless you totally agree to my position,'" she added.
Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., held a sitdown with the president on the the 19th day of the partial government shutdown.
Afterward, Trump tweeted he had walked out because the Democrats would not support money for his proposed border wall "or steel barrier" in a funding bill.
"I asked what is going to happen in 30 days if I quickly open things up, are you going to approve Border Security which includes a Wall or Steel Barrier?" Trump tweeted. "Nancy said, NO. I said bye-bye, nothing else works!"
Schumer, however, claimed Trump slammed the table and "just walked out of the meeting" after not getting his demands, The Hill reported.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., refuted that description and said Trump brought candy to meeting-goers.
The partial government shutdown began Dec. 22 amid an impasse between lawmakers and the White House over Trump's demand for $5.7 billion in funding for his proposed border wall.