President Donald Trump spent his evening Wednesday reaching across the aisle to Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer — and as thanks for his bipartisan effort, Trump was backstabbed by Pelosi later that night.
Immediately after the White House hailed a “constructive working dinner” between Trump and his top Democratic rivals, the liberal leaders rushed to tell the press a nasty lie — and claimed they’d killed Trump’s border wall using a deal on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
According to the Trump administration, that’s a lie —
While DACA and border security were both discussed, excluding the wall was certainly not agreed to.
— Kayleigh McEnany 45 Archived (@PressSec45) September 14, 2017
With Democrats, no good deal goes unpunished it seems.
Still, despite the political backstab, Trump said Thursday that he was still “fairly close” to a deal with congressional leaders to preserve protections for young illegal immigrants while still insisting on “massive border security” as part of any agreement.
Trump, speaking to reporters before surveying hurricane damage in Florida, pushed back against Democratic leaders who claimed there was a deal on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative. He also said his promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border would “come later.”
“We’re working on a plan subject to getting massive border controls. We’re working on a plan for DACA. People want to see that happen,” Trump said. He added: “‘I think we’re fairly close — but we have to get massive border security.”
Trump, in a series of early morning tweets, contradicted the alleged lies of his dinner guests, Schumer and Pelosi.
No deal was made last night on DACA. Massive border security would have to be agreed to in exchange for consent. Would be subject to vote.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 14, 2017
Trump’s tweets prompted a fresh response from Schumer and Pelosi, who admitted his words were consistent “with the agreement reached last night,” and that while there was “no final deal.”
Instead, the president had said he would “support enshrining DACA protections into law, and encourage the House and Senate to act.”
They said in a statement that the details on border security needed to be negotiated, that both sides agreed “the wall would not be any part of this agreement” and that Trump said he would pursue the wall later.
Soon after, Trump appeared to confirm that approach. “The wall will come later, we’re right now renovating large sections of wall, massive sections, making it brand new,” he told reporters before his Florida trip.
Trump, the self-proclaimed “Master of the Deal,” began reaching across the aisle to Democrats days ago when he backed a three-month extension of the debt limit in order to speed hurricane assistance.
The WALL, which is already under construction in the form of new renovation of old and existing fences and walls, will continue to be built.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 14, 2017
At the same time, he expressed sympathy for the hundreds of thousands of younger immigrants vulnerable to deportation even though they were brought to the United States as toddlers or children.
He had announced last week that his administration was rescinding the program and gave Congress six months to come up with a legislative fix.
Does anybody really want to throw out good, educated and accomplished young people who have jobs, some serving in the military? Really!…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 14, 2017
…They have been in our country for many years through no fault of their own – brought in by parents at young age. Plus BIG border security
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 14, 2017
Earlier Wednesday, during a White House meeting with moderate House members from both parties, Trump had urged lawmakers to come up with a bipartisan solution.
The president said he would be open to separating the wall issue from the question of the younger immigrants, as long as the wall got dealt with eventually.
Trump, deeply disappointed by establishment Republicans’ failure to make good on years of promises to repeal the Obama-era healthcare disaster, infuriated many GOP insiders last week when he reached a three-month deal with Schumer and Pelosi to raise the debt ceiling, keep the government running and speed relief to states affected by recent hurricanes.
“More and more we’re trying to work things out together,” Trump said Wednesday, calling the development a “positive thing” for both parties.
“If you look at some of the greatest legislation ever passed, it was done on a bipartisan manner. And so that’s what we’re going to give a shot,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this article