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| Pelosi vs. Trump: ‘Don’t Characterize the Strength That I Bring,’ She Says | Pelosi vs. Trump: ‘Don’t Characterize the Strength That I Bring,’ She Says |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| WASHINGTON — It was Round One: Nancy Pelosi vs. President Trump. | WASHINGTON — It was Round One: Nancy Pelosi vs. President Trump. |
| The likely new speaker arrived at the White House on Tuesday afternoon, ready to take on the president. The subject was a potential government shutdown, and funding for Mr. Trump’s beloved wall. What followed was a remarkable exchange between a veteran congressional leader and a president who is rarely challenged to his face in public, especially by a woman. | |
| “Mr. President, please don’t characterize the strength that I bring to this meeting as a leader of the House Democrats who just won a big victory,” Ms. Pelosi said, about halfway through the meeting, after Mr. Trump accused her of “being in a situation where it’s not easy for her to talk right now.” | “Mr. President, please don’t characterize the strength that I bring to this meeting as a leader of the House Democrats who just won a big victory,” Ms. Pelosi said, about halfway through the meeting, after Mr. Trump accused her of “being in a situation where it’s not easy for her to talk right now.” |
| As viewers watched the televised back-and-forth that continued for a heated 15 minutes, Mr. Trump frequently interrupted Ms. Pelosi to say that he did not want a vote in the House on a bill to avoid a shutdown since he did not have the votes in the Senate. | As viewers watched the televised back-and-forth that continued for a heated 15 minutes, Mr. Trump frequently interrupted Ms. Pelosi to say that he did not want a vote in the House on a bill to avoid a shutdown since he did not have the votes in the Senate. |
| “I don’t want to waste time,” Mr. Trump said. | “I don’t want to waste time,” Mr. Trump said. |
| Ms. Pelosi listened for a few moments. “That is not the point, Mr. President,” she finally said, and then added, “I don’t think we should have a debate in front of the press on this.” | Ms. Pelosi listened for a few moments. “That is not the point, Mr. President,” she finally said, and then added, “I don’t think we should have a debate in front of the press on this.” |
| The exchange between Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Trump — the first that tested their new power dynamic as Democrats prepare to take control of the House — seemed aimed at making clear to Ms. Pelosi’s Democratic caucus that she can take on Mr. Trump and brush off mansplaining. | The exchange between Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Trump — the first that tested their new power dynamic as Democrats prepare to take control of the House — seemed aimed at making clear to Ms. Pelosi’s Democratic caucus that she can take on Mr. Trump and brush off mansplaining. |
| And it was Ms. Pelosi who may have benefited from the negotiating-in-public style the president prefers. She put him off balance from the start by referring to the possibility of a “Trump shutdown,” causing the president to visibly recoil. | And it was Ms. Pelosi who may have benefited from the negotiating-in-public style the president prefers. She put him off balance from the start by referring to the possibility of a “Trump shutdown,” causing the president to visibly recoil. |
| Without raising her voice, she stood her ground as Mr. Trump repeatedly interrupted her with finger wags and calling her “Nancy.” | Without raising her voice, she stood her ground as Mr. Trump repeatedly interrupted her with finger wags and calling her “Nancy.” |
| Ms. Pelosi, who was joined in the Oval Office by Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, Mr. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, made it clear she thought it was unproductive to negotiate in public. | Ms. Pelosi, who was joined in the Oval Office by Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, Mr. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, made it clear she thought it was unproductive to negotiate in public. |
| “But it’s not bad, Nancy, it’s called transparency,” Mr. Trump said. | “But it’s not bad, Nancy, it’s called transparency,” Mr. Trump said. |
| Ms. Pelosi shot back, “It is not transparency when we are not stipulating a set of facts and when we wanted to have a debate with you about saying we confront some of those facts without saying to the public this isn’t true.” | Ms. Pelosi shot back, “It is not transparency when we are not stipulating a set of facts and when we wanted to have a debate with you about saying we confront some of those facts without saying to the public this isn’t true.” |
| It has been a year since “Chuck and Nancy,” as Mr. Trump has branded them, have been invited to the White House. But while the president has praised Ms. Pelosi’s skills from afar, he appeared rattled when confronting her in person. Mr. Pence did not join in the conversation at all. | It has been a year since “Chuck and Nancy,” as Mr. Trump has branded them, have been invited to the White House. But while the president has praised Ms. Pelosi’s skills from afar, he appeared rattled when confronting her in person. Mr. Pence did not join in the conversation at all. |
| At one point the president tried to paper over what was apparent to anyone watching. “We’re doing this in a very friendly manner,” he insisted to reporters. | At one point the president tried to paper over what was apparent to anyone watching. “We’re doing this in a very friendly manner,” he insisted to reporters. |
| For her part, Ms. Pelosi appeared to be aiming for civility if not camaraderie. While Mr. Trump waved his hands theatrically, she sat with her hands folded in her lap. When she was interrupted, Ms. Pelosi politely tried to explain to Mr. Trump, who prides himself on his negotiating skills, how Congress works. | For her part, Ms. Pelosi appeared to be aiming for civility if not camaraderie. While Mr. Trump waved his hands theatrically, she sat with her hands folded in her lap. When she was interrupted, Ms. Pelosi politely tried to explain to Mr. Trump, who prides himself on his negotiating skills, how Congress works. |
| “No, we don’t have the votes, Nancy, because in the Senate we need 60 votes,” Mr. Trump said, a talking point he repeated multiple times. | “No, we don’t have the votes, Nancy, because in the Senate we need 60 votes,” Mr. Trump said, a talking point he repeated multiple times. |
| “The fact is that you can get it started,” Ms. Pelosi rejoined. “The fact is that you could bring it up in the House if you have the votes to set the tone.” | “The fact is that you can get it started,” Ms. Pelosi rejoined. “The fact is that you could bring it up in the House if you have the votes to set the tone.” |
| Ms. Pelosi’s civics course continued: “Legislating, which is what we do. You begin, you make your point, and you state your case and that is what the House Republicans could do if they had the votes. But there are no votes in the House, majority votes, for the wall, no matter where you start.” | Ms. Pelosi’s civics course continued: “Legislating, which is what we do. You begin, you make your point, and you state your case and that is what the House Republicans could do if they had the votes. But there are no votes in the House, majority votes, for the wall, no matter where you start.” |
| Looking exasperated, Mr. Trump finally called an end to the public portion of their meeting. | Looking exasperated, Mr. Trump finally called an end to the public portion of their meeting. |
| But it was Ms. Pelosi who made sure, at least for the moment, that she got the last word. | But it was Ms. Pelosi who made sure, at least for the moment, that she got the last word. |
| Speaking to reporters outside the White House after the meeting, Ms. Pelosi suggested that she actually had gone easy on the president. “I did not want to, in front of those people, say that you don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said. | Speaking to reporters outside the White House after the meeting, Ms. Pelosi suggested that she actually had gone easy on the president. “I did not want to, in front of those people, say that you don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said. |