The most shocking part of the 'meltdown' photo Trump tweeted isn't who's in it - it's who isn't
- President Donald Trump tweeted out a photo of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at a meeting about Syria on Wednesday, accusing her of having an "unhinged meltdown."
- While the photo was interpreted as either Pelosi going off on Trump or standing up to the president, the most shocking part of the photo isn't the "meltdown" - rather, it's who isn't in the picture.
- Pelosi stands as one of two women at the table during the cabinet meeting, joined only by Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming. It recalls other government hearings where women aren't at the table at all - namely when an all-male city council voted to outlaw abortions in their Texas town.
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President Donald Trump tweeted out a photo of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at a meeting about Syria on Wednesday, accusing her of having an "unhinged meltdown."
While the photo was interpreted as either Pelosi going off on Trump or standing up to the president, the most shocking part of the photo isn't the "meltdown" - rather, it's who isn't in the picture.
Pelosi, a Democrat from California, stands as one of two women at the table during the meeting, joined only by Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the House Republican Conference chair. Other women are photographed in the background, but Pelosi and Cheney are the only two lawmakers listed in a White House readout of who was expected to attend. (White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham was also listed as an expected attendee.)
It recalls other government hearings where women aren't present, including a 2017 meeting in which congressional leaders discussed a healthcare bill including maternity services - and there wasn't a single woman in the room.
Tensions were high at the meeting; it was the first time Trump was in a room with Democratic leaders since the announcement of an impeachment inquiry. The president also seemed particularly upset by the House voting in favor of a bipartisan resolution condemning his decision to pull US troops from Syria.
The resolution was approved in a 354-60 vote, with 129 House Republicans voting in favor and 60 House Republicans voting against it.
Trump made it clear that he was reluctant to attend, but he was there after lawmakers requested his presence, The New York Times reported.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer described the president's conduct as "insulting," after he called Pelosi a "third-grade politician," she said. Pelosi noted that Trump seemed to be having a "meltdown," saying that he was "shaken" by the result of the vote.
The president went on to tweet a series of photos, including one of Pelosi and Schumer that was captioned, "Do you think they like me?"