President Trump mocked Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer for not attending a White House meeting Tuesday afternoon, by leaving two seats conspicuously vacant -- and accusing the no-show Democratic leaders of being "all talk" and "no action." "And now, it is even worse. It's not even talk. So they are not showing up for the meeting," Trump told reporters. Trump talked to the press after meeting with House Speaker Paul Ryan, along with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. But the president was convinced to keep two seats empty on either side of him, together with nametags for Pelosi and Schumer. Trump had scheduled a meeting at the White House Tuesday with top leaders of both parties. In retaliation for a Trump tweet indicating they could not reach a bipartisan budget deal but on Tuesday afternoon, Schumer and Pelosi pulled out. After Trump's open-seat screen, Pelosi accused the president of "verbal abuse." Throughout the session with colleagues, Trump said that he was "not that amazed" both leading congressional Democrats did not show up for talks on taxation reform and attempted to stop a government shutdown. "Nothing to these is important other than raising taxes," Trump said. The back-and-forth points in a relationship between the Hill Democrats and Trump, who had been working in recent months. Schumer, D-N.Y., and Pelosi, D-Calif., had pulled out of the meeting after the president suggested any bipartisan deal would be thwarted by Democrats' desire to include immigration reform and tax gains. "The meting today was about keeping the government open and functioning. Problem is they are weak on Crime, want illegal immigrants flooding into our Nation unchecked and want to Taxes. I don't see a deal!" Trump tweeted. Schumer and Pelosi said in a joint statement: "Given that the president does not find a bargain between Democrats the White House, we think the best path forward is to keep on negotiating with our Republican counterparts in Congress instead." Schumer said on the Senate floor that Trump was not interested in a bipartisan deal. "In the event, the president, who already earlier this year stated 'Our nation needs a good shutdown' ... is not interested in fixing the end-of-the-year agenda, we'll work with individuals that are considering funding the authorities," Schumer said.
Press Secretary for the White House Sarah Sanders urged Pelosi and Schumer before the meeting to "put aside their pettiness, cease the political grandstanding, and get to work." Ryan and McConnell, who both attended the meeting, slammed the leaders. "We have important work to do, and Democratic leaders have always found new excuses not to meet up with the government to discuss these issues," McConnell and Ryan said in a joint announcement before the meeting, noting that "if Democrats wish to reach an arrangement, they will be there." Congress has a deadline of Dec. 8 to pass legislation to keep the government open, and no show on Tuesday from Pelosi and Schumer points to a difficult negotiation beforehand. "We anticipate continuing to operate in good faith, since we have been for the last month, with our Republican colleagues in Congress to do just that," Schumer and Pelosi said.
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