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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 12 december 2018

Trump threatens shutdown in wild encounter with Democrats

By MATTHEW DALY and less he gets the billions he rity and the wall as a critical majority at the end of the said there should not be a
CATHERINE LUCEY wants for his long-promised part. Democrats were in no month. “Trump shutdown.”
Associated Press wall along the U.S.-Mexico mood to sympathize, em- Trump is seeking far more “Did you say Trump?”
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a border. phasizing their newfound for his long-stalled border the president said, as the
wild Oval Office confron- “I will take the mantle. I will political strength. wall than the $1.6 billion two argued over whether
tation, President Donald Trump had enough Repub-
Trump heatedly threat- lican votes in the House
ened to shut down the U.S. to support his border wall
government Tuesday as he plan.
and Democratic leaders “The fact is that you do
bickered over funding for not have the votes in the
his promised border wall House,” Pelosi declared.
and offered a grim preview Trump shot back, “Nancy, I
of life in Washington the do.”
next two years under divid- Also in a fighting mood,
ed government. Schumer accused Trump
Trump and House and Sen- of threatening a shutdown
ate Democratic leaders “because you can’t get
Nancy Pelosi and Chuck your way.”
Schumer squabbled for Trump heckled Schumer
more than 15 minutes in over a previous shutdown,
the stunning, televised en- saying “the last time you
counter. Each of them, es- shut it down you got killed”
pecially Trump, interrupted politically.
the others to question facts, Pelosi and Schumer both
quibble over election re- repeatedly asked to make
sults and lob insults. the conversation private,
Trump questioned Pelosi’s without success, as Trump
ability to count votes in her argued that the public
own House. She questioned Vice President Mike Pence, center, listens as President Donald Trump argues with House Minority meeting was a good thing:
Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House,
his manhood — after she Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018, in Washington. “It’s called transparency.”
left the building. Associated Press Trump repeatedly returned
The public clash marked to his argument that the
Trump’s first meeting with be the one to shut it down,” “Elections have conse- the Senate has agreed to border wall is needed for
the newly empowered he declared. quences, Mr. President,” for border security, includ- security reasons. He also
Democrats since their mid- Pelosi later crowed that she said Schumer. ing physical barriers and argued that “tremendous”
term victories that put them and Schumer had goaded Trump later called it a technology along the U.S. portions of the wall have
in control of the House, lay- the president to “fully own “friendly meeting,” saying southern border. already been built. In fact,
ing bare the tensions on that the shutdown was his.” “I’ve actually liked them for Should the two sides not some barrier renovation
both sides and suggesting She told Democratic law- a long period of time and I make a deal by Dec. 21, has happened, but little
how divided government makers back at the Capi- respect them both. And we about three-quarters of the wall construction has been
might work — or not — as tol, according to an aide made a lot of progress.” The government would contin- completed under Trump.
the 2020 presidential elec- who was in the room, that Democrats said they had ue to have enough money If Democrats refuse to sup-
tion nears. the wall was “like a man- given Trump two options to operate. But depart- port the wall, the military
Neither the public nor the hood thing for him ... as if to keep government open ments affected absent a will build the remaining sec-
private face-to-face por- manhood could ever be and the responsibility lay deal include Homeland Se- tions, Trump said.
tion of the meeting ap- associated with him. This with him and Republicans curity, Transportation, Agri- “The wall will get built,” he
peared to resolve the wall- wall thing.” who control Congress. culture, State and Justice, insisted.
funding dispute with a par- The aide was not autho- The wall remains the main as well as national parks. Hours after the meeting
tial shutdown looming on rized to speak publicly and sticking point in talks. Re- Both sides came into the ended, a Pentagon spokes-
Dec. 21. However, Pelosi commented only on condi- publican House Speaker negotiating session primed man said in a statement
said Trump called her later tion of anonymity. Paul Ryan acknowledged for battle. After a few nice- that “there is no plan” for
in the afternoon and told While Trump has suggested Tuesday that the GOP-led ties, Trump dug into Demo- the military to build sections
her the White House was he may be willing to trade House has yet to pass leg- crats on the border wall, of a border wall. But Army
looking at options she and with Democrats and has islation that includes the $5 prompting a stern rebuke Lt. Col. Jamie Davis added
Schumer had laid out. publicly praised Pelosi, he billion in border wall funds from Schumer that the is- that the military may have
In the public debate, Trump was focused Tuesday on that Trump has been re- sue at hand was “called the power to fund “barrier
sounded more determined reinforcing his hardline im- questing. Ryan likely lacks funding the government.” projects” in national emer-
than ever to allow a partial migration promises, repeat- sufficient votes from Re- Trump soon started scrap- gencies or to counter the
government shutdown un- edly stressing border secu- publicans who will lose their ping with Pelosi, when she drug trade.q