President Donald Trump has canceled a scheduled meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, blasting their “unserious and ridiculous demands” as the federal government barrels toward a potential shutdown on September 30.
The high-stakes meeting, set for Thursday, was supposed to be a last-ditch effort to strike a deal. But Trump pulled the plug, issuing a sharp rebuke on Truth Social, accusing the Democrat leaders of pushing “radical Left policies that nobody voted for.”
“I have decided that no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive,” Trump wrote, slamming the Democrat leadership for their letter earlier this week blaming Republicans for a possible shutdown and attacking the GOP’s short-term funding plan.
The canceled meeting follows a partisan breakdown over competing continuing resolutions. Democrats criticized the Republican plan—backed by Trump—as “dirty,” accusing it of undermining healthcare, allowing Medicaid reforms to remain intact, and slashing funding for rural hospitals.
Trump fired back, defending his “big, beautiful bill,” and making clear he would not support any effort to undo his administration’s healthcare reforms.
“We must keep the Government open, and legislate like true Patriots rather than hold American Citizens hostage,” Trump wrote. “I’ll be happy to meet with them if they agree to the Principles in this Letter. They must do their job!”
He added, “To the Leaders of the Democrat Party, the ball is in your court. I look forward to meeting with you when you become realistic about the things that our Country stands for.”
The legislative calendar complicates the negotiations even further. The Senate is not expected to return until Sept. 29, while the House remains out through the Sept. 30 deadline due to Rosh Hashanah observances.
Schumer and Jeffries had previously tried to involve Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson in bipartisan talks, but so far that meeting has not materialized. Thune has pushed back, saying Democrats need to show initiative if they want to move talks forward.
Despite the looming deadline, the White House placed the blame squarely on Democrats. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said any shutdown “would be the fault of the Democrats,” adding that the GOP’s proposed bill was “clean” and focused primarily on national security—particularly new funds for lawmaker protection following the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
Democrats countered with a separate proposal that also included security funding but added poison pills like repealing Trump-era Medicaid reforms, reinstating funding for NPR and PBS, and making expiring Obamacare subsidies permanent.
Thune dismissed the proposal’s scope, warning against loading sweeping policy changes into a stopgap funding bill. “This is the place to fund the government,” he said. “Not to push through major healthcare reforms.”
The standoff echoes the 2018 showdown between Trump and Schumer, which resulted in the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Now, just days away from another potential shutdown, both sides are digging in deeper. Trump insists any future negotiations will require Democrats to acknowledge and respect his administration’s priorities—or risk being left out entirely.
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