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| Trump Walks Out on Pelosi and Schumer After 3 Minutes | Trump Walks Out on Pelosi and Schumer After 3 Minutes |
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| WASHINGTON — President Trump abruptly blew up a scheduled meeting with Democratic congressional leaders on Wednesday, lashing out at Speaker Nancy Pelosi for accusing him of a cover-up and declaring that he could not work with them until they stopped investigating him. | WASHINGTON — President Trump abruptly blew up a scheduled meeting with Democratic congressional leaders on Wednesday, lashing out at Speaker Nancy Pelosi for accusing him of a cover-up and declaring that he could not work with them until they stopped investigating him. |
| He then marched out into the Rose Garden, where reporters had been gathered, and delivered a statement bristling with anger as he demanded that Democrats “get these phony investigations over with.” He said they could not legislate and investigate at the same time. “We’re going to go down one track at a time,” he said. | He then marched out into the Rose Garden, where reporters had been gathered, and delivered a statement bristling with anger as he demanded that Democrats “get these phony investigations over with.” He said they could not legislate and investigate at the same time. “We’re going to go down one track at a time,” he said. |
| The confrontation came on a day when pressure over a possible impeachment effort raised temperatures on both sides of the aisle. Ms. Pelosi arrived at the White House for a session with the president set to talk about infrastructure shortly after meeting with restive House Democrats on Capitol Hill to talk about impeachment. She emerged from that meeting with Democrats accusing Mr. Trump of a “cover-up.” | The confrontation came on a day when pressure over a possible impeachment effort raised temperatures on both sides of the aisle. Ms. Pelosi arrived at the White House for a session with the president set to talk about infrastructure shortly after meeting with restive House Democrats on Capitol Hill to talk about impeachment. She emerged from that meeting with Democrats accusing Mr. Trump of a “cover-up.” |
| When she and Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, arrived at the White House, Mr. Trump was loaded for bear. He walked into the Cabinet Room and did not shake anyone’s hand or sit in his seat, according to a Democrat informed about the meeting. He said that he wanted to advance legislation on infrastructure, trade and other matters, but that Ms. Pelosi had said something “terrible” by accusing him of a cover-up, according to the Democrat. | When she and Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, arrived at the White House, Mr. Trump was loaded for bear. He walked into the Cabinet Room and did not shake anyone’s hand or sit in his seat, according to a Democrat informed about the meeting. He said that he wanted to advance legislation on infrastructure, trade and other matters, but that Ms. Pelosi had said something “terrible” by accusing him of a cover-up, according to the Democrat. |
| After just three minutes, he left the room before anyone else could speak, the Democrat said. From there, he headed to the Rose Garden, where a lectern had been set up with a sign that said “No Collusion, No Obstruction” along with statistics intended to show that the investigation by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, was more than thorough. | |
| “Instead of walking in happily into a meeting, I walk in to look at people that have just said that I was doing a cover-up,” Mr. Trump said. “I don’t do cover-ups.” | “Instead of walking in happily into a meeting, I walk in to look at people that have just said that I was doing a cover-up,” Mr. Trump said. “I don’t do cover-ups.” |
| “I walked into the room and I told Senator Schumer, and Speaker Pelosi: ‘I want to do infrastructure. I want to do it more than you want to do it. I’d be really good at that, that’s what I do. But you know what? You can’t do it under these circumstances. So get these phony investigations over with,’” he said. | |
| The Democratic leaders returned to Capitol Hill and expressed disappointment, saying they were ready to make a deal with the president on a $2 trillion plan to rebuild the nation’s roads, bridges, airports and other infrastructure. | The Democratic leaders returned to Capitol Hill and expressed disappointment, saying they were ready to make a deal with the president on a $2 trillion plan to rebuild the nation’s roads, bridges, airports and other infrastructure. |
| “He just took a pass and it just makes me wonder why he did that,” Ms. Pelosi said. “In any event, I pray for the president of the United States and I pray for the United States of America.” | |
| Mr. Schumer expressed shock at the outcome. “To watch what happened in the White House would make your jaw drop,” he said. | |
| Mr. Schumer said Mr. Trump’s eruption was hardly spontaneous, noting the preprinted sign on the lectern he used afterward to speak with reporters. Instead, he suggested the president staged it because he had not come up with a way to pay for such an enormous spending package. | Mr. Schumer said Mr. Trump’s eruption was hardly spontaneous, noting the preprinted sign on the lectern he used afterward to speak with reporters. Instead, he suggested the president staged it because he had not come up with a way to pay for such an enormous spending package. |
| “Hello! There were investigations going on three weeks ago when we met, and he still met with us,” Mr. Schumer said. “But now that he was forced to actually say how he would pay for it, he had to run away. And he came up with this preplanned excuse.” | |
| The blowup was reminiscent of a meeting in January when Mr. Trump erupted at Ms. Pelosi during the partial government shutdown as he sought money for his promised border wall. After she refused to go along, he snapped, “bye-bye” and stormed out. | The blowup was reminiscent of a meeting in January when Mr. Trump erupted at Ms. Pelosi during the partial government shutdown as he sought money for his promised border wall. After she refused to go along, he snapped, “bye-bye” and stormed out. |
| In this case, Mr. Trump has been in a foul mood since Monday, snapping at aides about his rally in Pennsylvania and complaining about news media coverage of the investigations. In his view, people close to him said, Democrats are seeking to render his presidency illegitimate. | In this case, Mr. Trump has been in a foul mood since Monday, snapping at aides about his rally in Pennsylvania and complaining about news media coverage of the investigations. In his view, people close to him said, Democrats are seeking to render his presidency illegitimate. |
| When Mr. Trump arrived for Wednesday’s meeting, he did not take his seat near the center of the table and instead stood at the end of the table and admonished Democrats, according to an account from two people in the room, one Republican and one Democrat. | When Mr. Trump arrived for Wednesday’s meeting, he did not take his seat near the center of the table and instead stood at the end of the table and admonished Democrats, according to an account from two people in the room, one Republican and one Democrat. |
| After Mr. Trump walked out, Ms. Pelosi turned to other Democrats there and recounted a story about how Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt had each brought people together to solve infrastructure problems. | After Mr. Trump walked out, Ms. Pelosi turned to other Democrats there and recounted a story about how Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt had each brought people together to solve infrastructure problems. |
| “I knew he was looking for a way out,” Ms. Pelosi concluded.. “We were expecting this.” | |
| Kellyanne Conway, the counselor to the president, was in the room. “Respectfully, Madam Speaker, do you have a direct response to the president?” | Kellyanne Conway, the counselor to the president, was in the room. “Respectfully, Madam Speaker, do you have a direct response to the president?” |
| Ms. Pelosi said she was responding to the president, not members of his staff. | Ms. Pelosi said she was responding to the president, not members of his staff. |
| “Really great,” Ms. Conway replied sarcastically. “That’s really pro-woman of you.” | |
| In his report, Mr. Mueller established that Russia sought to influence the 2016 presidential campaign to benefit Mr. Trump but that he could not establish any conspiracy or coordination with Mr. Trump’s campaign. Mr. Mueller outlined nearly a dozen instances when Mr. Trump, as president, sought to impede the investigation but offered no conclusion about whether those efforts constituted obstruction of justice. | In his report, Mr. Mueller established that Russia sought to influence the 2016 presidential campaign to benefit Mr. Trump but that he could not establish any conspiracy or coordination with Mr. Trump’s campaign. Mr. Mueller outlined nearly a dozen instances when Mr. Trump, as president, sought to impede the investigation but offered no conclusion about whether those efforts constituted obstruction of justice. |
| In his appearance in the Rose Garden, Mr. Trump once again claimed vindication by the report and accused Democrats of refusing to accept that he did nothing wrong. Mr. Trump has vowed to defy all subpoenas for testimony and documents sought by the House on the grounds that it is all a partisan exercise, which has angered enough Democrats that pressure is building to open a formal impeachment inquiry. | |
| Mr. Trump emphasized that he and his team provided documents and testimony to Mr. Mueller without citing executive privilege even though he said the special counsel was biased against him, and although he did not himself agree to be interviewed in person. | Mr. Trump emphasized that he and his team provided documents and testimony to Mr. Mueller without citing executive privilege even though he said the special counsel was biased against him, and although he did not himself agree to be interviewed in person. |
| “These people were out to get us, the Republican Party and President Trump, they were out to get us,” he said, referring to himself in the third person. “So here’s the bottom line,” he added. “There was no collusion, there was no obstruction. We’ve been doing this since I’ve been president, and actually the crime was committed on the other side.” | “These people were out to get us, the Republican Party and President Trump, they were out to get us,” he said, referring to himself in the third person. “So here’s the bottom line,” he added. “There was no collusion, there was no obstruction. We’ve been doing this since I’ve been president, and actually the crime was committed on the other side.” |
| He followed up the news conference with a series of tweets. “You can’t investigate and legislate simultaneously — it just doesn’t work that way,” he wrote. “You can’t go down two tracks at the same time.” | He followed up the news conference with a series of tweets. “You can’t investigate and legislate simultaneously — it just doesn’t work that way,” he wrote. “You can’t go down two tracks at the same time.” |
| He added: “Democrat leadership is tearing the United States apart, but I will continue to set records for the American People — and Nancy, thank you so much for your prayers, I know you truly mean it!” | He added: “Democrat leadership is tearing the United States apart, but I will continue to set records for the American People — and Nancy, thank you so much for your prayers, I know you truly mean it!” |
| Infrastructure has been one area where Mr. Trump and the Democrats have repeatedly suggested that they could work together, only to get nowhere in more than two years. It has become something of a joke in Washington — the phrase “infrastructure week” evokes laughter or eye rolling whenever it comes up. | Infrastructure has been one area where Mr. Trump and the Democrats have repeatedly suggested that they could work together, only to get nowhere in more than two years. It has become something of a joke in Washington — the phrase “infrastructure week” evokes laughter or eye rolling whenever it comes up. |
| The Wednesday meeting was probably doomed even before Ms. Pelosi’s “cover-up” comment. Mr. Trump upended any prospect of agreement on Tuesday night by sending Democrats a letter saying that infrastructure should wait until after Congress passes his revised version of the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada. | The Wednesday meeting was probably doomed even before Ms. Pelosi’s “cover-up” comment. Mr. Trump upended any prospect of agreement on Tuesday night by sending Democrats a letter saying that infrastructure should wait until after Congress passes his revised version of the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada. |
| Mr. Trump had also challenged Democrats to arrive on Wednesday with more specific ideas about how the money would be spent. After the meeting blew up, Mr. Schumer said he was prepared to do just that, holding up a document that he said was a 35-page plan. | Mr. Trump had also challenged Democrats to arrive on Wednesday with more specific ideas about how the money would be spent. After the meeting blew up, Mr. Schumer said he was prepared to do just that, holding up a document that he said was a 35-page plan. |
| The plan was the same $1 trillion blueprint unveiled last March and was going to be used as a proposal for where and how Democrats would like to invest in infrastructure. The suggestions for how to pay for it were removed because Mr. Trump, who proposed doubling it to $2 trillion, had said he would present his own ideas, according to a Democrat briefed on the decision. | The plan was the same $1 trillion blueprint unveiled last March and was going to be used as a proposal for where and how Democrats would like to invest in infrastructure. The suggestions for how to pay for it were removed because Mr. Trump, who proposed doubling it to $2 trillion, had said he would present his own ideas, according to a Democrat briefed on the decision. |
| Prospects for such a plan at either price tag were already dim on Capitol Hill, as several Republicans in the Senate majority had balked at the scope of the package, particularly without a way to pay for it. As in the initial infrastructure meeting three weeks ago, no Republicans from either chamber were present for this meeting. | Prospects for such a plan at either price tag were already dim on Capitol Hill, as several Republicans in the Senate majority had balked at the scope of the package, particularly without a way to pay for it. As in the initial infrastructure meeting three weeks ago, no Republicans from either chamber were present for this meeting. |
| But Mr. Trump’s curt dismissal of infrastructure negotiations has cast a further shadow on a slew of budget and funding deadlines, just a day after administration officials began talks with congressional leaders over a possible budget deal. Without an agreement between Mr. Trump and the two chambers before the fiscal year expires at the end of September, federal agencies will be forced to cut billions of dollars and adhere to steep limits on federal spending. | |
| What was not clear was whether Mr. Trump would stick by his refusal to work with Democrats unless they drop their investigations. | What was not clear was whether Mr. Trump would stick by his refusal to work with Democrats unless they drop their investigations. |
| “There’s going to be investigations on this administration for a while,” said Senator Thomas R. Carper, Democrat of Delaware. “To say that we’re not engaged on trade and other issues because of those investigations, I don’t know how realistic that is. It’s disappointing.” | “There’s going to be investigations on this administration for a while,” said Senator Thomas R. Carper, Democrat of Delaware. “To say that we’re not engaged on trade and other issues because of those investigations, I don’t know how realistic that is. It’s disappointing.” |