Thread by @Yamiche

White House reporters coming out of the meeting between President Trump, Senator Chuck Schumer and Rep Nancy Pelosi look stunned. I'm told all three were yelling at each other, sparring openly and accusing each other of mischaracterizing comments.

Reporters are watching the playback now.

President Trump said: I'd like to not have a government shutdown but border security is a top priority.

"Border security is extremely important and we have to take care of border security," Trump said.

President Trump in meeting: "We are going to talk about the wall...And I'll tell you it's a tough issue because we are on opposite sides."

Nancy Pelosi: I don't think we should have a debate in front of reporters...There are no votes for a wall.

Trump: If I needed the votes in the House I would have them...I need 10 Democratic Senators but I can't get it.

Trump talking over Pelosi: "We need border security. We need border security."

Nancy Pelosi: "Of course we do."

Trump: "We need the wall....Chuck did you want to say something?"

Chuck: The WaPo gives you pinocchios for misstatements on the wall.

Chuck: "We want to do what we did last year...Let's debate in private."

Trump: "See we get along...We need border security and the wall is part of border security."

President Trump repeatedly interrupted and talked over Nancy Pelosi as she made the case that they should continue debating in private and not in front of reporters.

Pelosi: This is not transparency when we can't agree on the same set of facts.

Trump: "We need border security."

Trump: "Nancy is in a situation where it is not easy for her to talk."

Pelosi quickly defended herself: Please don't mischaracterize the strength I bring as the leader of the House Dems who just had a big victory.

Pelosi adds, "We need to have an evidence based conversation."

Pres. Trump: "I am proud to shut down the government for border security...I will be the one of shutdown the government."

Trump adds that he won't blame Democrats for the shutdown if he shuts down for border security.

It is clear that Pres Trump believes he has the political capital to shut down the govt over one of his signature issues: The wall and immigration. He is betting that criminalizing immigrants and pitting them against Americans benefits him politically even with a shutdown.

Reminder:

A government shutdown would impact: Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Homeland Security, Interior, State, Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, as well as several smaller agencies.

usatoday.com/story/news/pol…

I asked Leader Pelosi and Sen Schumer just now at WH whether they were able to have the “evidence based” conversation that Pelosi repeatedly said she wanted to have with Trump. Both gave me stern looks and Pelosi said, “That’s another subject.” I’ll take that as a no from both.

Senator Schumer at the WH said President Trump and federal government has only spent about 6% of the border security money that Congress gave them last year. He added that the govt should first spend what they got before asking for the $5 billion Trump wants for the wall.

The summation of today: After shouting matches, we are where we were yesterday. Both Sen Schumer and Leader Pelosi say they will only offer Pres Trump the same amount of money for border security as last year ($1.3 billion). Trump says he is happy to shut down the govt.

Sarah Sanders on Trump-Schumer-Pelosi meeting: President Trump had a "constructive dialogue" w/ Schumer and Pelosi. Adds that they agreed to support criminal justice bill and discussed Farm Bill. "Major disagreement remains on the issue of border security and transparency."

Rep Nancy Pelosi and Sen Chuck Schumer keep it much shorter than Sarah Sanders: “We gave the president two options that would keep the government open. It’s his choice to accept one of those options or shut the government down.”

I'm rewatching the meeting between Trump, Schumer & Pelosi.

Nancy Pelosi literally clapped back at President Trump when Trump suggested she couldn't speak candidly. She reminded Trump that Dems will control the House

Note: Clapback is in the dictionary. merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/…

ACLU on Trump-Dem meeting: "Trump’s petulant performance in the Oval Office today shows his negotiating position for what it really is: one of a president so obsessed with his wasteful, unnecessary border wall that he promised ... to withhold paychecks from .. federal workers."

Confirmed from an aide: After Pelosi left the WH, she returned to the Capitol and spoke to members at a meeting of the Steering and Policy Committee and said this about Trump: "It’s like a manhood thing for him. As if manhood could ever be associated with him. This wall thing."

An aide also tells me that Pelosi in meeting with members said, "But the fact is we did get him to say, to fully own that the shutdown was his. That was an accomplishment."

Pelosi said: "Fox News was saying, ‘She doesn’t want the public to know.’ No, I don’t want the public to see how wrong – no evidence, no data, no facts, no truth to what he says – should we be contradicting him in front of the press? Well, that’s what I told the President."

President Trump called the meeting with Schumer and Pelosi “very friendly” and said he “respects them both.” He adds of shutdown: “I don’t mind owning that issue...If we have to close down the country over border security I actually like that."

President Trump: “I could’ve debated Chuck Schumer for a long period of time."