Washington (AP) – On the way Donald Trump’s First White House Conference A few days before Congress leadership Government closureA red hat appeared on the president’s desk.
“Trump 2028,” they said. Vice President JD Vance And some untouched meal coke.
House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries Leaning on Vance, a potential 2028 competitor, he said, “Hey, mate, did you have any issues with this?”
The room laughed in response.
“We’re sitting there, so it was the most random thing in the world. We’re having a serious conversation and all of a sudden these two red hats appear,” Jeffries later recalled at Capitol.
“It all didn’t bother me much,” Jeffries said. “We were there for serious reasons that wasn’t really a big part of it. It was theatre.”
The moment was a vintage playing card – grabbing attention and trying to abandon the negotiators from their game – but it also emphasized the president’s respect for Congress, Government Equal Branchespecially his enemy, crossing the political aisle.
From historic first meetings to virus trolling
Once considered a historic opportunity, the US president convened the first “Big Four” meeting of Congressional leaders from the House and Senate – was returned to another virus souvenir trolling opponents to another virus souvenir.
And after an hour or more session, Trump Could not make a transaction With leaders to prevent federal government shutdowns.
“We don’t want to close it,” Trump said the following day at the White House hours before the midnight deadline.
This was not a daily meeting of presidential and congressional leadership. It was the first time Trump has gathered congressional leaders, and it was the first time he and Jeffries have officially met after more than eight months after their presidency.
But what’s even more surprising was how little it was then.
Healthcare will fund discussion as the president listens
During the White House meeting, Jeffries and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer They presented their argument to save healthcare funds as part of the closure talks.
Trump did what he was listening to rather than speaking, and he had little to say, leaders said.
“It appears he didn’t know that healthcare premiums were rising that much,” Schumer said.
With Republican leadership, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Tunethe conversation led to a view of the healthcare situation.
As Thune said later, “It’s lively.”
The debate included a demand for securing the Democrats Subsidies Helping you buy private insurance on an exchange operated by the Affordable Care Act will be permanent. Subsidies were introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, Set it to expire at the end of the yearsome estimates spike twice as much premium.
The conversation also touched on the new Rural Hospital Fund, which is important for Republicans. Cut to Medicaid Healthcare provider.
Johnson said Trump “showed strong and solid leadership. He listened to the debate.”
It is trying to attract the attention of the president
This is the best Democrats could have hoped for. It was broadcast before the president and began pointing the dial to their demands. And that is what the GOP leader tried to avoid when each party tried to condemn the other’s shutdown.
Johnson had suggested that Trump was returned from First meeting With Democrats who claimed it would be a “waste of time” after the president agreed to one.
But Trump relented I gave them a closed oval office on Monday session.
The Democrats were here before. During Trump’s first term, the president repeatedly negotiated with the Democrats – “Chuck and Nancy” When he called Schumer and speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, he raised debt limits and achieved other targets to fund the government.
These bargains by Trump have frustrated his own Republican party.
Republicans are aware of that history, are trying to turn the conversation in a different direction, and will later leave the door open to discuss healthcare issues with Democrats once the government reopens. They also had problems characterizing Trump if they were not aware of the depth or size of the healthcare situation.
“I’m very skeptical that the president was hearing about it for the first time,” Vance said afterwards.
One Republican, who is a Republican, said he allowed the private meeting to be discussed publicly and granted anonymity to do so.
In the second term so far, the president was able to achieve his priorities on his own. Executive Action and Elon Musk-led cuts to tear the federal office, or a compliant Congress has passed signing tax credits and spending reduction bills. One big beautiful bill actit also fuels his deportation agenda.
But Washington doesn’t run alone in the White House, and Congress isn’t a majority institution. Turning most bills into law requires a bipartisan gift of compromise, especially in the Senate, especially in the annual budget needed to continue running the government.
Then came the Sombrero provocation.
Hours after lawmakers left the meeting, Trump’s team posted a fake video showing Jeffries adorned with a sombrero outside the White House, carrying a fake mustache next to Schumer. It was widely viewed as racist.
“When I was practicing law, there was one of my favorites, a Latin phrase,” Jeffries said in his office at Capitol. “res ipsa loquitur. That means: things speak for themselves.”
“We aired our position fully on Monday, which should set a baseline for follow-up conversations from the administration in an attempt to rekindle a meaningful, bipartisan path towards funding the government,” he said.
“Unfortunately, following the White House meeting, the president’s actions have deteriorated to evil and creepy behavior.”
