Kirsters Baish| POV| President Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took part in a nasty back and forth on Wednesday. President Trump broke off bipartisan negotiations regarding Pelosi’s accusations that he took part in a “cover-up.” The House Speaker answered, “I pray for the president of the United States.”
Politico reports:
The breakdown came as Trump declared he will not work with Democrats as long as they are investigating him. The explosive encounter at the White House shattered a feeling of good bipartisan vibes stemming for positive budget talks on Tuesday and startled attendees, who said Trump made them wait, complained about their probes, canceled the meeting and left in a span of just a few minutes.
“It wasn’t really respectful of the Congress and the White House working together. He just took a pass,” Pelosi stated during a press conference upon returning to the nation’s Capitol. “I pray for the president of the United States, and I pray for the United States of America.”
Democratic Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, who was also in attendance at the White House meeting, stated that it was “high drama in the Cabinet room.”
“I don’t know where this leaves us as a nation. We have so many things that have to be done for this country and they can’t be done unless we work together,” Durbin stated. “If the president walks out of the meeting, it’s a setback for the country’s priorities.”
According to Politico, “Durbin said that Democrats couldn’t get a word in, and Pelosi told the House and Senate Democrats afterward about the importance of doing an infrastructure package.”
Pelosi struggled to get her words out as she insisted President Trump engaged in a “cover-up” this morning:
Take a look at what President Trump had to say about Pelosi’s accusation and the five-minute meeting:
Durbin says the entire meeting lasted “no more than 5 minutes.”
After he left Pelosi said a few words of the importance of the meeting and doing infrastructure, he says.
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) May 22, 2019
President Trump walked into his Cabinet Room and told the Democratic leaders he had invited to discuss infrastructure that the meeting was canceled. He objected to the ongoing Congressional investigation of his alleged obstruction of justice.
— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) May 22, 2019