Donald Trump has reportedly stormed out of a meeting with leading Democrats which was designed to bring an end to the partial government shutdown.
Trump had offered to end the government shutdown if the Democrats would agree to fund his $5.7bn border wall. However, Pelosi repeated her stance that they are refusing to fund the wall, prompting Trump to leave.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“It wasn’t even a high-stakes negotiation,” Pelosi told The New York Times after the meeting. “It was a petulant president of the United States.”
Trump described the meeting as “a total waste of time”, with senior Republicans trying to downplay the incident and lay the blame for the shutdown on the Democrats. “I asked what is going to happen in 30 days if I quickly open things up, are you going to approve Border Security which includes a Wall or Steel Barrier? Nancy said, NO. I said bye-bye, nothing else works!” tweeted the president.
The Washington Post says the breakdown of the meeting left “no end in sight to the shutdown”, which will become the longest in US history on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, Trump had lunch with several Republican lawmakers, two of whom reportedly pleaded for him to end the shutdown as hundreds of thousands of federal employees are on the brink of missing their first pay cheque.
-
Experience Tanzania’s untamed wilderness from Lemala’s luxury lodgesThe Week Recommends The vast protected landscapes are transformed into a verdant paradise during ‘emerald season’
-
Crossword: October 9, 2025The Week's daily crossword
-
Sudoku medium: October 9, 2025The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
Israel and Hamas meet on hostages, Trump’s planSpeed Read Hamas accepted the general terms of Trump’s 20-point plan, including the release of all remaining hostages
-
US tipped to help Kyiv strike Russian energy sitesSpeed Read Trump has approved providing Ukraine with intelligence for missile strikes on Russian energy infrastructure
-
Netanyahu agrees to Trump’s new Gaza peace planSpeed Read At President Trump's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they agreed upon a plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
The dark history of myths about immigrants eating swans and petsIn the Spotlight Nigel Farage has mimicked Donald Trump and peddled tropes and rumours that have long been used to ‘dehumanise’ immigrants
-
What would happen if Israel lost America’s support?Today’s big question Loss of US backing could be a ‘catastrophe’ for Israel
-
Charlie Kirk, Jimmy Kimmel and free speechTalking Point TV host’s cancellation and Trump administration’s threats to media have led to accusations of Maga hypocrisy
