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President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence meet with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington.
- President Donald Trump reportedly left a meeting with Democrats abruptly, and gave a terse farewell, which he later repeated on Twitter.
- "Bye-bye," Trump told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, as he held his hands at the sides of his face, sources familiar with the meeting told The Wall Street Journal.
- The roughly 20 minute meeting initially began with candy offerings: Butterfingers, M&M's, Baby Ruths, and coffee.
- Pelosi, who previously described herself as a "choca-holic," said in the past that she enjoys chocolates from the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, based in her district of San Francisco.
The negations standoff between President Donald Trump and Democratic leaders over the wall and the government shutdown continued into Wednesday, after the president abruptly left a meeting with a terse farewell - one that he would later repeat on Twitter.
"Bye-bye," Trump told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California in the Situation Room, as he held his hands at the sides of his face, sources familiar with the meeting told The Wall Street Journal.
Trump's abrupt move was in response to Pelosi saying she would not provide funding for a wall if he opened the government for 30 days while they continued negotiating, sources explained to The Journal.
"Mr. President, as I said before, the plural of anecdote is not data," Pelosi reportedly said to Trump, after he described cases of human atrocities faced by migrants crossing the border.
Democrats and Republicans had differing accounts of how the meeting ended - just 20 minutes after it began. Following the meeting, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Trump "sort of slammed the table" and walked out of the room. Vice President Mike Pence and Republican Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana reportedly denied that Trump slammed the table.
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Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Chuck Schumer.
"The president was very calm in trying to continue to put different options on the table to solve this crisis," Scalise said after the meeting.
Trump would later repeat his adieu on Twitter, calling the meeting with Pelosi and Schumer "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 [sic]," Trump tweeted in the afternoon, referring to Democrats' request for him to open the government for 30 days while they continue negotiations. "Nancy said, NO. I said bye-bye, nothing else works!"
The meeting began with Trump offering sweets to participants: Butterfingers, M&M's, Baby Ruths, and coffee. Discussions were derailed, however, as Trump and Democrats tussled over the matter of ending the government shutdown and funding his proposed wall on the US-Mexico border.
(Pelosi, who previously described herself as a "choca-holic," said in the past that she enjoys chocolates from the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, based in her home district of San Francisco.)
Trump and Democrats have been entrenched on the subject of funding his border wall and reopening the government. Trump has demanded $5.7 billion in funds for a barrier, while Democrats, who have agreed to other border security measures, have rejected the proposal.