Donald Trump says he 'doesn't see a deal' to avert a government shutdown

Congressional leaders have yet to make a deal on funding levels, or an agreement on pricklier issues such as a legislative fix for DACA

Donald Trump and Mike Pence meet with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Top Democrats in Congress have abruptly pulled out of their meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House after he attacked them on Twitter.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Trump suggested he doesn't see the White House being able to reach a deal with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown.

"Meeting with 'Chuck and Nancy' today about keeping government open and working," Mr Trump said in a tweet. "Problem is they want illegal immigrants flooding into our Country unchecked, are weak on Crime and want to substantially RAISE Taxes. I don’t see a deal!"

Senator Chuck Schumer and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrats in the Senate and House of Representatives respectively, were scheduled to head to the White House today along with House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

But rather than participate in a "show meeting" with Mr Trump, Mr Schumer and Ms Pelosi said in a joint statement, they would prefer to meet with Republican congressional leaders alone.

"Given that the President doesn't see a deal between Democrats and the White House, we believe the best path forward is to continue negotiating with our Republican counterparts in Congress instead," Mr Schumer and Ms Pelosi said in a joint statement. "Rather than going to the White House for a show meeting that won't result in an agreement, we've asked Leader McConnell and Speaker Ryan to meet this afternoon."

They continued: "We don't have any time to waste in addressing the issues that confront us, so we're going to negotiate with Republican leaders who may be interested in reaching a bipartisan agreement."

Mr Schumer's and Ms Pelosi's announcement has increased the already high tensions between Mr Trump and top Democrats. But a few months prior, the President seemed on the verge of having a productive relationship with members of his rival political party.

The last time he sat down with the top leaders, Mr Trump abruptly sided with Democrats on a plan to provide hurricane disaster relief, increase the debt limit and fund the government until 15 December – a move that went against the wishes of many Republicans.

But it seems that Democrats may have a harder time getting what they want this time around.

Congressional leaders have yet to make a deal on funding levels, or an agreement on pricklier issues such as a legislative fix for DACA - the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme - to protect young, undocumented migrants who had been brought to the US as children.

Earlier this year, Mr Trump announced he was rescinding the Obama-era policy that has allowed nearly 800,000 so-called “Dreamers” to work and go to school without fear of deportation.

There was confusion in September over whether the President had made a deal with Democrats to permanently protect Dreamers and work out a package of border security, excluding Mr Trump's oft-promised border wall.

Ms Pelosi and Mr Schumer said both sides agreed that the wall would not be part of this agreement - but that the President made clear he intends to pursue it at a later time.

Mr Trump has maintained that building a wall along the US's southern border with Mexico will prevent illegal immigration, despite scepticism from experts and even members of his own party.

“The WALL, which is already under construction in the form of new renovation of old and existing fences and walls, will continue to be built,” Mr Trump said in a September tweet.

In August, Mr Trump threatened to shutdown the government if Democrats did not give in to his demands to fund the wall, which he originally said Mexico would pay for.