| | | | 6 key lines from the Trump-Pelosi-Schumer throwdown |  | | On Wednesday at the White House, Donald Trump returned to his reality TV roots: Hosting -- and participating in -- a bare-knuckled brawl with the two top Democratic leaders in Congress.
It was a remarkable event as Trump, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer repeatedly sought the political and rhetorical high ground, feuded over what they agreed on (and what they didn't) and barely avoided the whole thing ending in a flurry of name-calling.
I got my hands on the transcript of the whole thing. Below, the six key moments from a meeting full of them.
1. TRUMP: "And then we have the easy one, the wall. That will be the one that will be the easiest of all. What do you think, Chuck? Maybe not?"
SCHUMER: "It's called 'funding the government,' Mr. President."
This set the tone -- contentious, unyielding -- for what was to come.
2. "But the wall will get built. A lot of the wall is built. It's been very effective."
This is something Trump has said again and again and again. Which doesn't make it true. Because it's not.
3. "So I don't think we should have a debate in front of the press on this."
This is Pelosi, trying to give Trump an out -- which he didn't take. Later, after the meeting, Pelosi explained her desire to go beyond closed doors this way: "I didn't want to, in front of those people, say, 'You don't know what you're talking about.'" Ooomph.
4. TRUMP: "We won the Senate."
SCHUMER: "When the President brags that he won North Dakota and Indiana, he's in real trouble."
This is Schumer trying to anger Trump, to poke him in a soft spot (the results of the 2018 election) and see if the President reacts. Which, of course, he did.
5. TRUMP: "Nancy is in a situation where it's not easy for her to talk right now, and I understand that."
PELOSI: "Mr. President, please don't characterize the strength that I bring to this meeting as the leader of the House Democrats who just won a big victory."
If there was any doubt that Pelosi was going to win the Democratic votes she needs to be speaker next month, this exchange might have resolved them.
6. "I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down. I'm not going to blame you for it. The last time you shut it down, it didn't work. I will take the mantle of shutting down."
HUGE political mistake by Trump here -- and one triggered by the poking and prodding Pelosi and Schumer did above.
The Point: Trump wanted a show. He got a show. Then he lost control.
-- Chris | |
WHAT COMES NEXT, BY THE NUMBERS | | | $5 billion How much money Trump wants for the proposed border wall
2 The number of options Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer offered Trump on a border wall compromise: - Spend $1.6 billion to boost border security measures
- Agree to a one-year spending resolution that would keep those funded at the current level of around $1.3 billion
10 The number of days until potential shutdown (December 21) 13 The number of days the shutdown could last, per Schumer:
"We gave him a good plan not to shut down the government and it will be a Trump shutdown and then on January 3, if it happens, the House will open us up again." | | "I'm attempting to chill out a bit. You can be sure I don't follow the tweets as closely as I used to."
-- Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, fired a month ago, reflected on his relationship with President Trump at an event in Montgomery, Alabama, on Tuesday afternoon. | | |  | Democratic frontrunners for President? There are 31 | | | With two years until 2020, the field of potential Democratic candidates is already crowded with senators, businessmen, congressional leaders and even a former vice president vying for the nomination. Subscribe to The Point on YouTube! | | "It's Christmastime in Hollis Queens/ Mom's cooking chicken and collard greens. When I think of the holidays, I think of Run-DMC. I can't be the only one.
-- Chris | | ... For January 25, 2019 🗓.
Why? A judge has set a hearing date for Paul Manafort's allegations of lying to Robert Mueller's investigators.
CNN's Katelyn Polantz tells us what to expect: "At this point, nothing about this case is normal.
"But following Robert Mueller's assertion that Paul Manafort lied to prosecutors about five major issues during his cooperation agreement, the judge still has a few things to sort out before she sentences him in March. One of those is whether she determines he did in fact violate his plea agreement. That's the process that was put on the calendar today.
"Previously, Manafort's team indicated they might challenge Mueller's assertions about what happened during the cooperation interviews -- and could seek evidence through the court system. The defense lawyers tried to nudge the judge toward the idea that a hearing might not be necessary, but as of now, it's scheduled.
"Mueller's team will likely be forced to share more details and evidence about Manafort's recent lies with the court in January. Whether those will be public is still a lingering question." | |
TRUMP, MUELLER APPROVAL BOTH DOWN | |  | Let's break down these numbers a little bit more with CNN's Polling Director Jennifer Agiesta:
"The dip in Mueller's numbers comes almost entirely among independents, among whom approval has fallen 10 points to 36%. Among partisans on both sides, Mueller's approval holds about even with where it was in an October survey: 71% of Democrats approve as do 21% of Republicans."
"Trump's approval rating drop, however, comes among his own partisans as well as among independents. Among Republicans, 51% approve of Trump's handling of the investigation, a new low by 1 point, while among independents, 26% approve, also a new low." | | It's a dishonorable title, to say the least.
The lie of the year is the "online smear machine" that tried "to take down Parkland students" in the wake of the shooting at the Florida high school, nonpartisan fact-checkers at PolitiFact declared Tuesday.
Angie Drobnic Holan and Amy Sherman write: "In another year of lament about the lack of truth in politics, the attacks against Parkland's students stand out because of their sheer vitriol. Together, the lies against the Parkland students in the wake of unspeakable tragedy were the most significant falsehoods of 2018. We name them PolitiFact's Lie of the Year." | | | | | | |
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