Trump cancels meeting with Schumer and Jeffries as a government shutdown looms

"In a lengthy Tuesday social media post, Trump rejected the sit-down the White House had agreed to the day before. It would have been the first time the Republican president met with the Democratic Party's leaders, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, since his return to the White House. "I have decided that no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive," Trump wrote in the post."

"The president complained the Democrats "are threatening to shut down the Government of the United States" unless the Republicans agree to more funding on health care for various groups of people he has criticized. Trump did not close the door on a future sit-down with the Democratic leaders, but he warned of a "long and brutal slog" ahead unless Democrats dropped their demands to salvage health care funds."

"Earlier Tuesday, Schumer and Jeffries had issued a joint statement saying that after "weeks of Republican stonewalling," the president had agreed to meet in the Oval Office. But after the Republican president canceled the meeting, the Democratic leaders accused him of throwing a tantrum and running away. Jeffries posted on X that "Trump Always Chickens Out." "Donald Trump just cancelled a high stakes meeting in the Oval Office with myself and Leader Schumer," Jeffries wrote on X. "The extremists want to shut down the government because they are unwilling to address the Republican healthcare crisis that is devastating America.""

President Donald Trump abruptly canceled this week's planned meeting with congressional Democratic leaders, refusing to negotiate over their demands for increased health care funding tied to a deal to avert a potential federal government shutdown. He posted on social media that no meeting with congressional leaders could be productive and accused Democrats of threatening to shut down the government unless Republicans agreed to more health care funding for groups he criticized. Trump left open the possibility of a future meeting but warned of a "long and brutal slog" if Democrats did not drop their demands to salvage health care funds. Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries condemned the cancellation, accused Trump of running away, and said they would continue to pursue negotiations.

Read at Fast Company