Donald Trump’s bizarre 20-minute "temper tantrum" caught on camera
Has Donald Trump, to no one’s surprise, officially lost the plot?
With the Democrats taking control of the House of Representatives only last month, it hasn’t taken long for the leader of the free world to lash out in an on-camera argument with House Minority leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Seated in the Oval Office, President Trump discussed funding for the infamous border wall between the US and Mexico with the two leaders.
A partial shutdown is edging closer, as December 21 will see funding for many agencies to expire.
The discussion quickly took a turn when Trump put forward the request for $US5 billion to help build the wall, but Democrats were only ready to shell out $US1.3 billion.
The conversation became more heated with every passing second, as the three politicians “pointed fingers, raised their voices and interrupted each other repeatedly as they fought over policy and politics” as reported by the Washington Post.
Neither side was ready to back down, as they fought to have their way.
But in true Trump fashion, the President chose to take it one step further and make personal attacks against the leaders.
Schumer repeated former President Barack Obama’s words as he warned Trump: “Elections have consequences, Mr President.”
He probed Trump even further by saying he should not shut down the government just because he “can’t get his way”.
“You just say my way or you shut down the government,” Schumer said as he lashed out.
The constant back and forth continued as Trump attacked Pelosi’s political performance, saying: “Nancy’s in a situation where it’s not easy for her to talk right now.”
“Please don’t characterise the strength I bring to this meeting,” she shot back.
She went on to say: “The fact is you do not have the votes in the House.”
Reporters in the room were left dumbstruck as they witnessed the argument first-hand, which went on for 20 minutes, with Pelosi constantly asking Trump to turn the cameras off for the meeting.
Pelosi also said: “This has spiralled downwards.”
The argument ended after Trump threatened to shut down the government, saying it’s a measure he’s willing to take if it means he gets what he wants.
Pelosi and Schumer both advised the President to not make such a drastic decision, but he remained firm on his word as he said: “I am proud to shut down the government for border security, Chuck. I’m going to shut it down for border security.
“If we don’t get what we want, one way or the other, whether it’s through you, through military, through anything you want to call, I will shut down the government. I will take the mantle. I will take the mantle, I will be the one to shut it down.”
After the heated discussion, Pelosi and Schumer took to the White House lawn to speak to reporters about the incident that had just occurred.
“We came in here in good faith and we are entering into this kind of a discussion in the public view,” said Pelosi. “He says, ‘We can pass it in the House right now’. He doesn’t have the votes in the House, to pass whatever his agenda is with that wall in it.
“We are telling him, we will keep the government open, with a proposal that Schumer suggested. Why doesn’t he just think about it? In fact, I asked him to pray over it.”
When asked about the productivity behind-the-scenes, Pelosi said: “You want to know who is more productive behind the scenes? I hear some of the reporters saying, ‘Why do we not want transparency in this discussion question?’
“We don’t want to contradict the president when he is putting fourth figures that have no reality … I didn’t want to, in front of those people, (say) ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about.’”
Schumer accused Trump of throwing a “temper tantrum” saying: “This temper tantrum that he seems to throw – will not get him his wall, and it will hurt a lot of people because he will cause a shutdown.
“He admitted he wanted a shutdown. It is hard to believe he would want that.”
Addressing the press, House Speaker Paul Ryan said: “Our position is the president’s position.
“We share the president’s goal … we need to secure the border.”
In a speech on the Senate floor, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell warned it would be a “very, very long month” if the Democrats refused to back Trump's requests over the wall.
“For the nation’s sake, I hope that my Democratic friends are prepared to have a serious discussion and reach an accommodation with the president on funding for border security,” he said.
This was the first time after the midterm elections that Trump came face-to-face with Democrats in the Oval Office.
Something tells us this is only just the beginning.