Wall talks descend into slanging match
In a wild Oval Office confrontation, US President Donald Trump heatedly threatened to shut down the US Government as he and Democratic leaders bickered over funding for his promised border wall – offering a grim preview of life in Washington the next two years under divided government.
Trump and House and Senate Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer squabbled for more than 15 minutes during the stunning, televised encounter yesterday. Each of them, especially Trump, interrupted the others to question facts, quibble over election results and lob insults.
Trump questioned Pelosi’s ability to count votes in her own House. She questioned his manhood – after she left the building.
The public clash marked Trump’s first meeting with the newly empowered Democrats since their midterm election victories that put them in control of the House, laying bare the tensions on both sides and suggesting how divided government might work – or not – as the 2020 presidential election nears.
Neither the public nor the private face-to-face portion of the meeting appeared to resolve the wall funding dispute, with a partial shutdown looming on December 21. However, Pelosi said Trump called her later and told her the White House was looking at options she and Schumer had laid out.
In the public debate, Trump sounded more determined than ever to allow a partial government shutdown unless he gets the billions he wants for his longpromised wall along the US-Mexico border.
‘‘I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down,’’ he declared.
Pelosi later crowed that she and Schumer had goaded the president to ‘‘fully own that the shutdown was his’’, She told Democratic lawmakers back at the Capitol, according to an aide who was in the room, that the wall was ‘‘like a manhood thing for him’’.
While Trump has suggested he may be willing to trade with Democrats and has publicly praised Pelosi, he was focused on reinforcing his hardline immigration promises, repeatedly stressing border security and the wall as a critical part.
Democrats were in no mood to sympathise, emphasising their newfound political strength.
Trump later called it a ‘‘friendly meeting’’, saying: ‘‘We made a lot of progress.’’
The wall remains the main sticking point in talks.
Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan acknowledged that the GOP-led House has yet to pass legislation that includes the US$5 billion in border wall funds that Trump has been requesting. Ryan likely lacks sufficient votes from Republicans who will lose their majority at the end of the month.
Should the two sides not make a deal by December 21, about three-quarters of the government would continue to have enough money to operate. But departments affected in the absence of a deal include homeland security, transportation, agriculture, state and justice, as well as national parks.
If Democrats refused to support the wall, the US military would build the remaining sections, Trump said. –AP