Thread by @DavidBegnaud

President Trump released these pictures tonight attempting to use them to paint @SpeakerPelosi as having a “meltdown”.
Here’s reporting from 4 of my colleagues who spoke to Democrat & GOP sources who have knowledge of what happened inside today’s meeting with POTUS.

The President came in, arms crossed, scowling & angry. He claimed Democrats asked for the meeting (not true).
He had a very defensive opening, & said Kurds are communists, & suggested maybe Dems like that. Defense Secretary Esper gave a presentation on the withdrawal.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Milley gave a more detailed presentation on where the troops are & how they would be phased down. Pelosi pointed out we passed the resolution today, & asked about where we go now - providing Humanitarian assistance for Kurds & how to contain ISIS.

POTIS continued to interrupt her and say we’ve done all that. He criticized Mattis as weak. When Dems pushed him on ISIS, he continued to say my plan is to keep America safe (which Dems pointed out is a goal, not a plan).

Meeting continued to devolve, and he said I hate ISIS more than you do, you’re just a politician, you’re a third rate (or third grade) politician. We’ll see you at the polls. Continued to repeat that. Pelosi and Hoyer decided the meeting was clearly not useful & left together.”

A Senior Dem said this
The President started the meeting with a lengthy bombastic monologue. He bragged about his "nasty" letter to Erdogan.

Said "someone wanted this meeting so I agreed to it." This meeting was called by the White House.

At one point, Trump suggested that there were communists in Syria and said Democrats would like that.

Some quotes from Trump:

"PKK is tougher than ISIS."

"The Kurds are no angels."

The Speaker mentioned the overwhelming House vote just before the meeting to oppose his actions in Syria. Noted the vote of 354-60. She went through the basic elements of the resolution.

The Speaker said to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs that she thanked the men and women of our military for their service and sacrifice.

Schumer referenced Mattis at one point.

Trump said: Mattis was "the world's most overrated general." He continued "You know why? He wasn't tough enough. I captured ISIS. Mattis said it would take two years. I captured them in one month."

Trump to Pelosi: "I hate ISIS more than you do."
Pelosi to Trump: "You don't know that."
Pelosi responded at one point noting that Russia has always wanted a "foothold in the Middle East." Making the point that now they have one. "All roads with you lead to Putin," Pelosi said.

At one point Schumer said, "Is your plan to rely on the Syrians and the Turks?"

Trump replied: "Our plan is to keep the American people safe"

Pelosi: "That's not a plan. That's a goal."

During an exchange where the President was trying to blame President Obama for the situation in Syria:

Trump to Pelosi: "President Obama drew a red line in the sand. In my opinion, you are a third-grade politician."

Hoyer stated: "This is not useful."

Speaker and Hoyer stood and left the meeting.

Trump as they left said: "Goodbye, we'll see you at the polls."

Schumer followed shortly thereafter. (end) Both accounts were given to @RebeccaRKaplan

This account was given to my colleague John Nolen: At one point, Trump handed a bunch of copies of a letter he sent to Erdogan on Oct. 9 to Rep. McCarthy and asked him to pass them around to the other members.

POTUS was apparently trying to show everyone there how tough he was on Erdogan and to attempt to prove to the members that he didn’t green light Erdogan’s invasion of Syria.

But Trump sent the letter AFTER the call (Oct. 6) where POTUS green lit Erdogan’s invasion, & then Erdogan still carried out invasion after the letter was sent...feeling in the room was that Trump confirmed how feckless & weak he is b/c he admitted he got rolled by Erdogan.

When Pelosi and Hoyer were getting ready to walk out of the meeting, POTUS said to them: “I’ll see you at the polls”
(End)

This was told to our chief congressional correspondent @nancycordes: Schumer started to read POTUS the following quote from Gen. Mattis from Sunday (“And in this case, if we don't keep the pressure on, then ISIS will resurge. It's absolutely a given that they will come back.")

But POTUS cut Schumer off and said that Gen Mattis was: “the world’s most overrated general. You know why? He wasn’t tough enough. I captured ISIS. Mattis said it would take 2 yrs. I captured them in 1 month”

POTUS said fewer than 100 ISIS prisoners escaped. He said twice they were “The least dangerous” ones. Secretary of Defense Esper confirmed the number (less than a 100) but didn’t acknowledge the president’s decision that they were the “least dangerous”.

Schumer later pressed the Secretary of Defense to answer if he agreed with the president’s description and the Secretary of Defense confirmed he didn’t know if they were the least dangerous). Esper said: “I don’t know that.”

Gen Milley said “ISIS is defeated not destroyed’. He added “they could reconstitute.”

Only two Republicans spoke in the meeting (and it wasn’t until Pelosi, Hoyer, Schumer left): Reps. McCaul and Cheney

Here’s what a Republican source said: “Democrats walked in, it was clear they were not interested in hearing serious updates and were only looking to politicize the event.

They were rude, attempted to shout over POTUS throughout the entire meeting, & stormed out before the meeting was over to grandstand in front of the cameras; everyone else stayed behind & actually listened to what our defense experts had to say.”

That was told to @sarahecook

Apologies. Sara’s handle is @saraecook