President Trump called off a meeting scheduled with Democratic congressional leaders on Tuesday, intended to discuss avoiding government shutdowns. He criticized their demands as absurd, claiming the meeting would not lead to productive outcomes.
This cancellation means Trump will likely miss a meeting with Senate minority leader Charles Schumer and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries on Thursday, raising the risk of a shutdown on October 1.
“After examining the extreme and ludicrous demands from the minority, I was forced to walk away. It’s clear that meetings with Democratic leaders are not going to be fruitful,” Trump shared on The Truth Society.
He went on to highlight various Democratic policies that aren’t favored by the general populace, suggesting that his election was partly a result of those unpopular stances.
“If they get serious about our country’s future, I would be open to meeting again. We need to keep our government functioning and act like true patriots, instead of holding American citizens hostage,” he added.
In response, Democrats condemned Trump’s decision, arguing he would be to blame if the government does shut down on October 1.
“Trump is always backing out. He just canceled a critical meeting in the Oval Office with me and Schumer,” Jeffries posted on x. “Some extremists prefer shutting down the government instead of tackling the Republican healthcare crisis that’s hurting America.”
Schumer followed up with his own remarks, suggesting Trump was “running away from the negotiation table” in a social media update.
Trump had intended to meet Schumer and Jeffries at the White House on Thursday. However, in his lengthy statement, he described the Democrats’ demands for keeping the government functional as unrealistic, which he believes would clash with the party’s agenda.
“Congressional Democrats appear completely lost. They seemingly don’t grasp what it means to prioritize America or make our nation great again!” Trump asserted. “The policies they are pushing, like high taxes, open borders, and funding for controversial surgeries, are not what anyone endorsed.”
“To the Democratic leaders, the choice is yours,” Trump added. “I’m eager to meet when you adopt a realistic view of our nation’s values. Do what’s right!”
The House approved a government funding bill set to last seven weeks starting October 1, but it requires Senate approval before reaching Trump’s desk.
While Republicans have a Senate majority, they lack the 60 votes needed to pass the bill without meeting Democratic stipulations.
Trump’s choice to cancel meetings with Democrats may indicate he believes Democrats will bear the brunt of any potential shutdown fallout.
Traditionally, Trump and the GOP have faced scrutiny for shutdowns, but this time, they assert that Democrats are jeopardizing the funding bill.
Democratic leaders have urged Republicans to tackle the ending of Affordable Care Act Premium Subsidies by the month’s end and to reclaim nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid funds cut under a major bill.
They also aim to unfund specific allocations for Trump’s budget director, Russell Vert.
Schumer and Jeffries claim that any shutdown would stem from Republican unwillingness to negotiate.
“After weeks of Republican obstruction in Congress, President Trump was set to meet in the Oval Office with us this week,” they stated. “This conference underscores the need to confront rising costs, especially with the ongoing Republican healthcare crisis. It’s long overdue for us to meet and prevent Republican-led shutdowns.”
Updated at 2:30pm
