House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer showed up at the White House yesterday for a scheduled meeting to discuss a much-needed infrastructure plan for the country. There are more than 47,000 structurally deficient bridges in the United States, among the many other critical infrastructure needs that were blocked by Senate Republicans during the Obama administration. Senate Republicans batted down one infrastructure plan after another during those eight years because they knew quite well that passing one would have been a big win for President Obama and the nation overall. It would have meant a massive number of jobs. Republicans stalled and blocked and hoped to hand this big win to a Republican president. Now they have their chance, and Democrats are willing to go along because it is best for the nation. Unfortunately, they have a new roadblock—a mentally unstable egomaniac in the White House who is unable to put the country’s needs over his own.
After keeping the House speaker and Senate minority leader waiting for more than 15 minutes, a classic business maneuver meant to display control, Donald Trump appeared in the room, and angrily told Pelosi and Schumer he wouldn’t work with them as long as there were any ongoing congressional investigations. Pelosi responded to the president and, just like that, the meeting was over. None of America’s needs were even discussed.
In a follow-up with reporters today, Pelosi described the unfit behavior of Trump and said plainly, “I pray for the president of the United States. I wish that his family or his administration or his staff would have an intervention for the good of the country.”
It is quite something that the speaker of the House is hinting about the president’s own Cabinet members having to invoke the 25th Amendment because he is so unstable. It cannot be said enough that Trump’s behavior is a threat to the national security of our nation and our democracy.
When asked if her comments about praying for the president were divisive, Pelosi perfectly responded that the reporter had bought Trump’s framing of the issue, which was incorrect.
Also in the press conference, she noted that she is not moving toward impeachment, which she believes would be divisive. While many, many people disagree with her (and you may be one of them!) and want to begin impeachment proceedings, Pelosi may be correct to proceed with caution. Trump appears to be begging for the House to impeach him, which would then send impeachment to the Senate, where you better believe Lindsey Graham and Mitch McConnell would declare him innocent, clear his name before 2020, and give their base red meat between now and then.
For now, prepare to take cover. An unstable egomaniac is extremely likely to blow.