President Donald Trump held a meeting with Congressional leaders at the White House on Wednesday to continue negotiating reopening the federal government, which has been shut down since December 22 over Trump's unyielding demand for a border wall.
Trump reportedly stormed out of the Situation Room following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) refusal to fund a border wall in exchange for Trump ending the shutdown.
Speaking to reporters as she exited the White House, Pelosi offered a blistering rebuke of Trump's obstinance, speaking up for the hundreds of thousands of federal workers who will not receive a paycheck if the government remains closed through Friday.
"The president seems to be insensitive" to the financial woes of the federal workforce, Pelosi said, before taking a huge swipe at Trump and his wealth.
"He thinks maybe they can just ask their father for more money. But they can't."
Pelosi continued:
"If you don't understand financial insecurity," the Speaker added of Trump, "then you would have a policy that takes pride in saying: 'I'm going to keep government shut down for months or years unless you totally agree to my position.'"
Watch below:
oh shit Pelosi on Trump: “He thinks maybe they could just ask their father for more money. But they can’t” https://t.co/JSmaEaoAMh— Adam Parkhomenko (@Adam Parkhomenko) 1547067589.0
Pelosi dropped a bomb on Trump and Twitter gobbled it up.
@AdamParkhomenko She is killing him when it comes to PR!! Go Girl!! Lmao— Chocolateme (@Chocolateme) 1547067686.0
@AdamParkhomenko No need to call the police just the coroner https://t.co/ON2G7RyL9h— His Dudeness (@His Dudeness) 1547067830.0
@AdamParkhomenko Pelosi con 🔥 #NoWall https://t.co/tNCSAAfqZN— Ravenous 👽🙅✊ (@Ravenous 👽🙅✊) 1547067886.0
After a tumultuous 2018, this is the leadership we need.
Pelosi is serving it, mercilessly.
@AdamParkhomenko @dominicholden This is the Pelosi I want in "formal" responses like last night's. So much more ef… https://t.co/4WV6KY10V7— ℹ️〽️🍑🍬 (@ℹ️〽️🍑🍬) 1547068054.0
@AdamParkhomenko slaaaay— astrUd fontenelle (@astrUd fontenelle) 1547067780.0
@AdamParkhomenko @Pitchershandout Nothing stings more or cuts deeper than the truth.— BitRed (@BitRed) 1547068248.0
@AdamParkhomenko Damn she's badass! https://t.co/uyt8e8Yfxm— 💙📮📬LisaPiecesPostcards💙📮📬 (@💙📮📬LisaPiecesPostcards💙📮📬) 1547067931.0
Pelosi totally got under Trump's skin. The president hopped onto Twitter after abruptly leaving the meeting to whine about not getting his way.
"Just left a meeting with Chuck and Nancy, a total waste of time," Trump wrote. "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!"
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 qu… https://t.co/NQeyjI5TXJ— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1547066086.0
The next step, Trump and others within his administration have suggested, is to declare a state of national emergency in order to build his wall. The questionable constitutionality of such a move, however, is unlikely to dissuade the president from attempting an unprecedented power grab.
Only Trump could back himself into a corner in an Oval Office, but the danger he poses continues to grow.