Mick Mulvaney publicly disparages Trump's negotiation with Schumer and Pelosi


It sure doesn't sound like Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney is holding his breath for an infrastructure deal.
Mulvaney spoke at the Milken Institute's Global Conference on Tuesday at the same time that Trump was meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to begin negotiating an infrastructure bill. But Mulvaney cast some doubt on the bill ever actually coming to pass, saying that Democrats might just want to "make a show for trying to get a deal" and that if the discussions didn't go well, "it would not surprise me," per The Hill.
Mulvaney also said he isn't sure a deal can be successfully negotiated while Democrats are investigating the president, saying they have to choose to "legislate or litigate" but can't have it both ways. "If I'm suing you on one deal, are you likely to do another deal with me at the same time?" he asked. "Probably not."
Subscribe to 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.
Schumer ended up telling reporters after the meeting that there was a lot of "good will" in it, something that will probably surprise Mulvaney, who said that having kidney stones is "better than going to the meeting with Chuck and Nancy at the White House."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
What is Linda Yaccarino's legacy? And what's next for X?
Today's Big Question An 'uncertain future' in the age of TikTok
-
The Pam Bondi and Dan Bongino schism threatens Trump's DOJ
In the Spotlight Two MAGA partisans find themselves on either end of a growing scandal over Jeffrey Epstein and his ties to White House officials
-
8 ways Trump's bill will change your taxes
The Explainer The 'big beautiful bill' was recently signed into law. Here's what it might mean for your wallet.
-
Secret Service 'failures' on Trump shooting
Speed Read Two new reports detail security breakdowns that led to attempts on the president's life
-
Trump set to hit Canada with 35% tariffs
Speed Read The president accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of failing to stop the cross-border flow of fentanyl
-
Mahmoud Khalil files $20M claim over ICE detention
Speed Read This is the 'first damages complaint' brought by an individual targeted by the Trump's administration's 'crackdown' on Gaza war protesters
-
Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariffs
Speed Read He accused Brazil's current president of leading a 'witch hunt' against far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress