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Win McNamee/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — A day after President Donald Trump walked out of a meeting with congressional Democrats, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared emboldened by the fracas, capitalizing on the showdown to move past her party’s growing divisions regarding the prospect of impeaching the president.
“He pulled a stunt,” Pelosi told reporters at a news conference in the Capitol Thursday. “The president has a bag of tricks … for certain occasions. He’s a master of distraction.”
Pelosi said she believes the president wants to goad congressional Democrats into launching an impeachment inquiry prematurely, which could doom Democrats in the eyes of an electorate that watches with curiosity.
“What really got to him was that these court cases and the fact that the house democratic caucus is not on a path to impeachment. That’s where he wants us to be,” she said.
Pelosi said she continues to pray for Trump, and believes he needs “an intervention.”
“Now this time, another temper tantrum,” she said. “I wish that his family or his staff would have an intervention for the good of the country.”
Trump gave his version in a tweet Thursday morning.
I was extremely calm yesterday with my meeting with Pelosi and Schumer, knowing that they would say I was raging, which they always do, along with their partner, the Fake News Media. Well, so many stories about the meeting use the Rage narrative anyway – Fake & Corrupt Press!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 23, 2019
Even though the president has ruled out cooperating on advancing bipartisan legislation until Democrats end their investigations into him and his administration, Democrats insist they are committed to salvaging an infrastructure package and stand ready and willing to work with Trump.
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