The occupier of the Oval Office is angry, as usual. At everything, as usual. But he's under particular pressure from a lot of sides at this point. He lost the House to the Democrats in a very big wave. Robert Mueller is breathing down his neck, getting closer by the day. Wall Street has been shaky and he's angry at the Federal Reserve for raising interest rates. In the midst of this rage-fest, House Republican leaders are meeting with him Tuesday to try to placate him into not shutting down part of the government in two weeks.
The current continuing resolution runs out on December 8. A good chunk of appropriations have been completed, but not all. The most difficult stuff was postponed until after the election, and after the election is now. What needs to be figured out is money for the Department of Homeland Security and a handful of other agencies.
Tuesday's meeting does not look promising. "I don't know what this is going to accomplish," a Republican source tells Politico. "It may just turn into a venting session." Trump wants $5 billion for his wall. Democrats have agreed to no more than $1.6 billion. He's only hardening that position following the election. Asked if that $5 billion is Trump's line in the sand, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard C. Shelby (R-AL) says "That's what he tells us."
Senate Democrats are insisting that any agreement includes a vote on legislation to protect the Mueller investigation. House Democrats have no incentive whatsoever to help out the Republicans they so recently vanquished at the polls, and Speaker Paul Ryan is out the door entirely after this month; he doesn't have anything to fight for.
Beyond that, any potential willingness Democrats might have had to work with Trump went up in a cloud of tear gas at the border this week. Democrats are "currently crafting their own counteroffer this week" Democratic aides tell Politico. That counteroffer should be "get bent," but likely won't.
The reality is, anything Congress might agree to is moot. It all depends on Trump and Democrats recognize that. They also recognize that Republicans solely own the government until next January, and it's on them to figure this out. "The president thinks a government shutdown will be good for the country," Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) told Politico. "The only one that can shut down the government is the president and the Republican leadership."