Trump insists he didn't have temper tantrum but 'politely said bye-bye' in government shutdown meeting
'No slamming', claims president
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump has denied having a “temper tantrum” during a meeting with leading Democrats over the government shutdown, insisting he “politely said bye-bye and left”.
The president was responding to claims from Chuck Schumer, the leading Democrat in the Senate, that he “slammed the table” and left the room after House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi refused a proposal to fund a wall on the US-Mexico border.
In an early morning tweet on Thursday, he said: “Cryin Chuck told his favorite lie when he used his standard sound bite that I ‘slammed the table & walked out of the room. He had a temper tantrum.’ Because I knew he would say that, and after Nancy said no to proper Border Security, I politely said bye-bye and left, no slamming!”
The president’s meeting with Democrats on Wednesday ended abruptly after less than 30 minutes, in a sign the two sides are no closer to a deal to end 20 days of federal government shutdown.
According to Mr Schumer’s account, Mr Trump stormed out of the room because he “couldn’t get his way”.
He said: “He asked speaker Pelosi, ‘Will you agree to my wall?’ She said no. And he just got up and said, ‘Then we have nothing to discuss’, and he just walked out. Again, we saw a temper tantrum because he couldn’t get his way.”
Following the meeting, Mr Trump tweeted: “Just left a meeting with Chuck and Nancy, a total waste of time. I asked what is going to happen in 30 days if I quickly open things up, are you going to approve Border Security which includes a Wall or Steel Barrier? Nancy said, NO. I said bye-bye, nothing else works!”
Vice-president Mike Pence, who was also in the meeting, disputed Mr Schumer’s depiction of the president’s behaviour.
“The president walked into the room and passed out candy. It’s true,” he told reporters outside the West Wing. “I don’t recall him ever raising his voice or slamming his hand.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments