Trump sides with Democrats in deal on spending, debt

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump briskly overruled congressional Republicans and his own treasury secretary Wednesday to cut a deal with Democrats to keep the government operating and raise America’s debt limit. The immediate goal was ensuring money for hurricane relief, but in the process the president brazenly rolled his own party’s leaders.

Trump sided with the Democratic leaders — “Chuck and Nancy,” as he amiably referred later to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi — as they pushed for the three-month deal, brushing aside the urgings of Republican leaders and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for a much longer extension to the debt limit. Republicans want that longer allowance to avoid having to take another vote on the politically toxic issue before the 2018 congressional elections.

In Wednesday’s Oval Office meeting, the Republicans first lobbied for an 18-month debt ceiling extension, then 12 months and then six, but Trump waved them off. As Mnuchin continued to press an economic argument in favour of a longer term, Trump tired of it and cut him off mid-sentence.

At another point, the meeting totally lost focus when Ivanka Trump entered to raise an unrelated issue on child-care tax credits. Details of the meeting were disclosed by several people briefed on the proceedings who spoke only on condition of anonymity.