Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said President Donald Trump was “throwing a temper tantrum” on Thursday night and pointed to that as the driving force behind the potential government shutdown.
Earlier on Thursday, Trump informed House GOP leaders that he would not sign a continuing resolution passed by the Senate the day before because it does not contain funding for his proposed wall along U.S. southern border.
WATCH:
Schumer began, “Today’s events have made one thing clear, President Trump is plunging the country into chaos. The stock market is down another 500 points. General Mattis is stepping down and we know he has real disagreements with the president on Syria and on the wall. And now President Trump is throwing a temper tantrum and creating the Trump shutdown of the government.”
He continued:
Last night the Senate passed by voice unanimously a bill proposed by Leader Mcconnell. All Speaker Ryan has to do is put it on the floor of the House, it will get a majority of votes and the president can sign it and avoid a shutdown. But unfortunately, President Trump was attacked this morning and last night by the hard right — and fearful, he backed off his commitment to sign this bill. Republican leaders told us yesterday that he was ready to sign the bipartisan bill that passed the Senate unanimously.”
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 11: U.S. President Donald Trump (2R) argues about border security with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) (R) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) as Vice President Mike Pence sits nearby in the Oval Office on December 11, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Last week, Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi met with Trump and Vice President Mike Pence to discuss the wall in a televised meeting in the Oval Office. (RELATED: Trump Brawls Face-To-Face With Pelosi, Schumer Over Wall Funding)