U.S. President Donald Trump walks with Marine One in the background, as he departs for New York City to attend the 80th United Nations General Assembly, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., September 22, 2025.
Al Drago | Reuters
President Donald Trump on Tuesday cancelled a planned meeting this week with the two top Democrats in Congress, just days before the federal government is set to shut down if a funding deal cannot be reached.
Trump scrapped the sit-down with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries just a day after people familiar with the situation said that his meeting with the New Yorkers would happen.
“After reviewing the details of the unserious and ridiculous demands being made by the Minority Radical Left Democrats in return for their Votes to keep our thriving Country open, I have decided that no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Tuesday.
Jeffries later tweeted, “Trump Always Chickens Out.”
“Donald Trump just cancelled a high stakes meeting in the Oval Office with myself and Leader Schumer. The extremists want to shut down the government because they are unwilling to address the Republican healthcare crisis that is devastating America,” the Democratic leader wrote.
Schumer, in a statement, said, “Trump is running away from the negotiating table before he even gets there.”
“While Americans face rising costs and a Republican healthcare crisis, Trump would rather throw a tantrum than do his job,” Schumer said.
“Democrats are ready to work to avoid a shutdown — Trump and Republicans are holding America hostage. Donald Trump will own the shutdown.”
Schumer and Jeffries had sought the meeting to negotiate the terms of a stopgap bill that needs to pass before Sept. 30 to avoid a shutdown.
In a letter requesting the talks, they said any blame for a shutdown would fall squarely on the president’s shoulders.
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stands alongside House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) as he speaks during a press conference addressing the appropriations process at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 22, 2025.
Nathan Howard | Reuters
Democrats are demanding that any such legislation include an extension of the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced tax credits.
Schumer and Jeffries, in a statement issued earlier Tuesday, said that at the meeting they had planned to “emphasize the importance of addressing rising costs, including the Republican healthcare crisis” during their meeting with the president.
But Trump slammed Democrats’ demands, accusing them of seeking to fund an array of “Radical Left Views and Policies” related to health care, immigration and crime.
“The Democrats in Congress seem to have totally lost their way,” Trump wrote.
“I look forward to meeting with them if they get serious about the future of our Nation. We must keep the Government open, and legislate like true Patriots rather than hold American Citizens hostage, knowing that they want our now thriving Country closed.”
“I’ll be happy to meet with them if they agree to the Principles in this Letter,” the president wrote. “To the Leaders of the Democrat Party, the ball is in your court.”
— CNBC’s Emily Wilkins contributed to this story.
