U.S. President Donald Trump walks with Marine One in the background, as he departs for New York City to attend the 80th United Nations General Assembly, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., September 22, 2025.
Al Drago | Reuters
President Donald Trump on Tuesday cancelled a planned meeting with the two top Democrats in Congress to address issues holding up a funding deal that could avoid a federal government shutdown.
Trump scrapped the sit-down set for Thursday just a day after people familiar with the situation said that his meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries would happen.
Trump’s move increases the likelihood of a shutdown.
The two New York lawmakers are insisting that any stopgap deal to avoid a Sept. 30 shutdown include protections for health-care programs, including by extending Affordable Care Act enhanced tax credits.
Those credits, which are usable for health insurance plans purchased on Obamacare marketplaces, are due to expire at the end of the year.
In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump wrote, After reviewing the details of the unserious and ridiculous demands being made by the Minority Radical Left Democrats in return for their Votes to keep our thriving Country open, I have decided that no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive.”
Jeffries quickly tweeted in response: “Trump Always Chickens Out.“
“Donald Trump just cancelled a high stakes meeting in the Oval Office with myself and Leader Schumer,” Jeffries wrote.
“The extremists want to shut down the government because they are unwilling to address the Republican healthcare crisis that is devastating America,” the Democratic leader wrote.
Schumer, in a statement, said, “Trump is running away from the negotiating table before he even gets there.”
“While Americans face rising costs and a Republican healthcare crisis, Trump would rather throw a tantrum than do his job,” Schumer said.
“Democrats are ready to work to avoid a shutdown — Trump and Republicans are holding America hostage. Donald Trump will own the shutdown.”
In a letter requesting the talks on Saturday, Schumer and Jeffries wrote, “We do not understand why you prefer to shut down the government rather than protect the health care and quality of life of the American people,” they wrote.
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stands alongside House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) as he speaks during a press conference addressing the appropriations process at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 22, 2025.
Nathan Howard | Reuters
Trump, in his post on Tuesday, slammed Democrats’ demands, accusing them of seeking to fund an array of “Radical Left Views and Policies” related to health care, immigration, and crime.
“The Democrats in Congress seem to have totally lost their way,” Trump wrote.
“I look forward to meeting with them if they get serious about the future of our Nation,” he wrote. “We must keep the Government open, and legislate like true Patriots rather than hold American Citizens hostage, knowing that they want our now thriving Country closed.”
“I’ll be happy to meet with them if they agree to the Principles in this Letter,” the president wrote. “To the Leaders of the Democrat Party, the ball is in your court.”
— CNBC’s Emily Wilkins contributed to this story.
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