New Delhi:
US Congressional Democrats claimed the President Donald Trump had a 'meltdown' at a White House meeting. Democrats walked out of the meeting on the Syria issue on Wednesday, claiming Trump insulted Speaker Nancy Pelosi by calling her a "third-rate politician". The White House had invited the leadership and top committee members of both Democrats and Republicans sides, and the Congress to brief them about their policy on Syria. Earlier, the House of Representative passed a bipartisan resolution opposing Trump's decision in Syria. It was passed by a vote of 354 to 60. Trump's decision to pull out troops from northern Syria has paved the way for Turkey to launch cross-border military operations against Kurdish forces, who were a key ally of the US in the fight against the ISIS.
"What we witnessed on the part of the President was a meltdown, sad to say," said Nancy Pelosi describing the interaction.
"He was insulting, particularly to the speaker. She kept her cool completely, but he called her a third-rate politician," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said.
Schumer also said President Trump told him that the Turks and the Syrians will guard ISIS prisoners. "The president has no real plans for containing the ISIS," Schumer said.
"This was not a dialogue, it was sort of a diatribe. A nasty diatribe, not focused on the facts."
Pelosi later said that Trump had actually referred to her as a "third-grade politician."
However, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham described the meeting differently, saying in a statement that Trump was "measured" and "decisive" and that Pelosi "had no intention of listening."
House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who was also at the meeting, called it "productive" and said that Trump made clear that his main priority is to "make sure America is safe." The California Republican criticized Pelosi's decision to leave, saying that the House speaker opted to politicize the event.
This isn't the first time that a meeting between congressional Democrats and the President has ended dramatically.
In January, the President walked out of discussions to end a partial government shutdown, calling talks with congressional Democrats "a total waste of time."
Tensions between congressional Democrats and the White House have escalated sharply as Democrats pursue an impeachment investigation into Trump over his contacts with Ukraine and have conducted a steady stream of closed door depositions this weeks as part of the inquiry.
