Trump Cancels Meeting with Democrats as Government Shutdown Looms

Washington, D.C. — President Donald Trump canceled a planned meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., on Tuesday, citing "unserious and ridiculous demands" as the Sept. 30 deadline to fund the government approaches.

The meeting, scheduled for Thursday, aimed to avert a partial government shutdown. Congress remains out of session this week for Rosh Hashanah, with the Senate expected to return Sept. 29 and the House not reconvening until after the deadline.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump criticized Schumer and Jeffries for pushing "radical Left policies" and declared the meeting unproductive. He accused Democrats of supporting a continuing resolution (CR) that would repeal nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts and eliminate a $50 billion rural hospital fund from his proposed legislation.

Schumer and Jeffries, in a letter sent over the weekend, blamed Trump and Republicans for risking a shutdown with a "dirty" short-term funding extension containing partisan policy riders. They criticized the Republican plan for neglecting expiring Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, warning it could lead to hospital closures.

"We must keep the government open and legislate like true patriots," Trump said, adding he would meet with Democrats only if they align with his principles. "The ball is in your court. Do the right thing!"

Senate Democrats proposed a counter-CR with additional funding for lawmaker security, ACA credit extensions, and restored funding for NPR and PBS, but it was rejected by Republicans. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., called such proposals inappropriate for a CR, emphasizing the need to focus on funding the government.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt advocated for a "clean" funding extension, attributing any potential shutdown to Democrats. The House Republican bill includes limited spending for enhanced lawmaker security following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The collapse of talks raises the specter of a government shutdown, recalling the 35-day closure in 2018-2019, the longest in U.S. history, when Schumer and then-Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., clashed with Trump over border wall funding.